of sandal-wood and saffron, bearers arrived to take away the
corpse with the wretched woman. The body of the man was placed on a car,
ornamented with costly stuffs, flowers, etc. There he was seated like a
living man, elegantly decorated with all his jewels, and clothed in rich
attire.

The corpse being carried first, the wife followed in a rich palanquin.
As she went along, the surrounding multitudes of people stretched out
their hands towards her to show how much they admired her conduct. The
women in particular went up to her to wish her joy, apparently desiring
to receive her blessing, or at least, that she would pronounce over them
some pleasing word. She tried to satisfy them all, saying to one, that
she would long continue to enjoy her worldly happiness, and to another,
that she would be the mother of many beautiful children. Another was
informed, that she would soon arrive at great honor in the world. These,
and similar expressions, she made to all who came near her, and they
departed with the full belief that they would enjoy all the blessings of
which she had spoken. She also distributed among them some betel-leaves,
which they gladly received as relics, or something of blessed influence.

During the whole procession, which was very long, her countenance was
serene and even cheerful, until they came to the pile upon which she was
to die. Then she suddenly became pensive. She no longer attended to what
was passing around her. Her looks were wildly fixed upon the pile. Her
face grew pale. She trembled with fear, and seemed ready to faint away.

The Brahmins, who took the lead in this ceremony, with her relations,
seeing her sad condition, ran to her, and endeavored to restore her
spirits, but she seemed not to know what they said, and answered not a
word.

They made her quit the palanquin, and her nearest relatives took her to
a pond of water which was near the pile, where they washed her. They
then attended her to the pile, on which the corpse of her husband had
already been laid. It was surrounded with Brahmins, each with a lighted
torch in one hand, and a bowl of melted butter in the other, all ready,
as soon as the poor victim was placed on the pile, to envelope her in
fire.

The relatives armed with muskets, sabres, and other weapons, stood
closely around in a double line, for the purpose, it was said, of making
her afraid, if she might wish to draw back, or of frightening any body
who might pity her,