and endeavor to rescue her.

At length the time for firing the pile being proclaimed, the young widow
was stripped of her jewels, and led on towards the pile. She was then
commanded to walk three times around it, two of her nearest relations
supporting her by the arms. The first round she accomplished with
tottering steps; but in the second, her strength forsook her, and she
fainted away in the arms of those who were holding her. They were
obliged to drag her between them for the third round. Then senseless,
she was thrown upon the corpse of her husband. At that instant, the
multitude made the air to ring with their shouts of gladness, while the
Brahmins poured the butter on the dry wood, and applied the torches.
Instantly the whole pile was in a blaze.

As soon as the flames began to rage, the poor woman, now in the midst of
them, was called upon by name, from all sides; but as insensible as the
corpse on which she lay, she made no answer. She entered eternity,
suffocated at once, most probably, by the flames.

The second case of suttee which I shall mention took place at the death
of the rajah, or king of Tanjore. He left behind him four wives.

The Brahmins having determined that two of these four should be burned
with the corpse of their husband, and having selected the two whom they
thought best to sacrifice, they told them of what awaited them. They
received the information with apparent joy. A refusal would have been
attended with their utter disgrace.

One day only was necessary to get ready for the funeral ceremonies. They
were conducted as follows: In a field somewhat distant from the palace,
the people made a hollow, not very deep, but about twelve or fifteen
feet square. Within it they made a pyramid of the sweet-smelling
sandal-wood. On the middle of the pyramid, a scaffold was built in such
a manner that the posts could easily be taken away, by which means the
scaffold would fall at once. On the four corners of the platform, large
jars were placed, filled with melted butter, to besmear the pyramid,
that it might be the more easily set on fire.

The following was the order of the procession. It was headed by a great
number of soldiers under arms. They were followed by a multitude of
musicians, chiefly trumpeters, who made the air reecho with their
melancholy sounds. Next came the body of the king upon a splendid
palanquin, richly adorned. This was surrounded by the nearest relations
and by the priest