| Citation |
BNL.729.015
17-24 Apr 1729:11 (120)
From the Flying Post, Decemb. 5. 1728. London, Decemb. 5.
The last mail from France brought over the following extract
of a letter, which an English gentleman at Paris has just
receiv'd from an English merchant at Bengal, and which is
here inserted to shew that the custom amongst the Indian
pagans of burning the widows alive with the bodies of their
deceased husbands, still continues.
I cannot forbear writing you an account of a woman whom I
saw burnt a few days ago with the corpse of her husband, I
was present at the whole ceremony, in company with several
other English merchants. She accompanied the corpse to the
pile singing, and holding a green bough in each hand. . .
[10 lines] At last some women appointed for the ceremony,
anointed and painted her, after which she went 3 times round
the pile, singing and bowing every time she came to the head
of the corpse, the mounted with a great deal of gaiety and
laid down by it, putting her arms about the neck and hugging
it closely. . . [7 lines]
N.B. This ceremony seems somewhat alter'd since Tavernier
was here, who gave this account of it. The woman us'd to
accompany the body of her deceas'd husband to the Ganges,
where they are both wash'd. Then she danced up to the
funeral pile, with the musick of drums, flutes and hautboys,
and place'd herself upon it as if she was sitting upon her
bed. . . [10 lines]
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