ave stifled them at once.

Such was the miserable cud of these poor unhappy queens--unhappy victims
of the most cruel religion that ever disgraced the earth.

Not unfrequently the sons take a prominent part in destroying their
mothers. This will appear from the following case. A Brahmin died, and
was brought to the place of burning. His wife was fastened to the pile,
and the fire was kindled, but the night was dark and rainy. When the
fire began to scorch the poor woman, she contrived to disentangle
herself from the dead body, and creeping from under the pile, hid
herself among some brushwood. In a little time it was discovered that
there was but one body on the pile. The relations immediately took the
alarm, and searched for the poor creature. The son soon dragged her
forth, and insisted that she should throw herself on the pile again, or
drown or hang herself. She pleaded for her life at the hands of her own
son, and declared that she could not embrace so horrid a death; but she
pleaded in vain. He urged, that he should lose his caste if she were
spared, and added, that either he or she must die. Unable to persuade
her to hang or drown herself, the son and the others present tied her
hands and feet, and threw her on the funeral pile, where she quickly
perished.

[Illustration: BURNING OF WIDOWS]

I observed that the rite of suttee is riveted in the affections of this
people. The following communications from two of the native princes who
lately consented to put a stop to this rite, will show you that this is
the case. The rajah of Oorcha declares, that "no subject of his state
shall in future be permitted to become a suttee, though according to the
Shasters, it is no doubt very meritorious for a widow to die of grief
for the death of her husband." The rajah of Sumpthem says, "The practice
of suttee is so very old, and has been countenanced and encouraged by
the wise men of so many generations that I have never thought myself
justified in interposing to prevent it; but my anxiety to meet the
wishes of the governor-general in this and in all things, is so great,
that I have waived all other considerations, and forbidden suttee."

If the British were to lose their power in India, the suttee would
immediately be reestablished. Power has put it down, but power alone
will never root it out of the affections of the people. Nothing but the
Gospel can do this. O that Christians would think of this, and hasten,
yea, with g