31S

Company’s faflory at Cofiimbuzar, with which this article may very properly be concluded.

t‘ At five of the clock on the morning of the 4th of February, 1744-3, died R/aaam C/Jund Pundit, of the Mababratror tribe, aged twenty-eight years. His widow, (for he had but one wife) aged be- tween feventeen and eighteen; as foon as he expired, difdaining to wait the term allowed her for re- fleélion, immediately declared to the Bramins and witneffes prefcnt, her refolution to burn. As the fa- mily was of no fmall confideration, all the merchants of Coflimbuzar and her relations, left no argu- ments uneffayed to diffuade her from it. Lady RulTel, with the tenderelt humanity, fent her feve- ral melfages to the fame purpofe; the infant {late of her children (two girls and a boy, the eldefi not four years of age,) and the terrors and pain of the death {he fought, were painted to her in the firongelt and molt lively colouring. She was deaf to all ; {he gratefully thanked Lady Ruffel, and fent her word, fbe load now not/sing to lieu: fir, but recommended leer children to ber proteflion. When the torments of burning were urged in lerrorem to her, {he, with a refolved and calm countenance, put her finger into the fire, and held it there a confiderable time; {he then with one hand put fire to the palm of the other, fprinkled incenfe on it, and fumigated the Bramins. The confideration of her children left

ANNUAL REGISTER, 1766.

deliitute of a parent, was again urg- ed to her. She replied, be zlnat made tbem would take care of tbenz. She was at lalt given to underfiand {he {hould not be permitted to burn ‘; this for a {hort fpace feem- ed to give her deep afiiidtion, but foon recollecting herfelf, {he told them, deat/J Qua: in ber power, and tlwat f/se ‘was not allowed to 6am, according to Ilse principle: of ber ea/l, fie mvould flarwe berjel .— He!‘ friends finding her thus peremptory and refolved, were obliged at lall: to aITent.

“ The body of the deceafed was carried down to the water-tide, early the following morning; the widow followed about ten o’clock, accompanied by three very prin- cipal Bramins, her children, pa- rents, and relations, and a nume- rous concourfe of people. The order of lea-"ue for her burning did not arrive from Hoffeyn Khan, Fouzdaar of Morlhadabad, until after one; and it was then brought by one of the Soubah’s own ofli- cers, who had orders to fee that {he burnt voluntarily.—-The time they waited for the order, was em- ployed in praying with the Bra- mins, and wafhing in the Ganges; as foon as it arrived, {he retired, and {laid for the fpace of half an hour in the midfi of hcr female relations, amongfi whom was her

mother; {he then divefied herfelf

of her bracelets, and other orna- ments, and tied them in a cloth, which hung like an apron before her, and was conducted by her

"PThe Gentoos are not permitted to burn, without an order from the Mahommedan government, and this permiflion is commonly made a per-

qtlifile 0f

female

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