, which is their custom to burn. It
is the length of the body, made of rope interlaced; at each end are two
small wooden legs which support the wooden sides and are, in height,
like the old-fashioned trundle bed. The winding sheet was removed, the
body anointed with oil and rubbed with saffron powder. The face, which
was most emaciated and betrayed great suffering, was completely
besmeared with this mixture. The body was then placed face downwards on
the pile. Being somewhat longer than the bed prepared for it, the limb
from the knee was bent towards the body. The cracking of the dry bones
was most grewsome. The body had a fresh wrap of cheese cloth thrown over
it, the face having her caste designated by lines of ashes on her
forehead, made by a priest, and sticks of cordwood were placed crosswise
and then lengthwise so close together that the entire body was
concealed. A pitcher of water from the sacred Hoogly River, nearby, was
brought and thrown over the pile. Then the nearest relative of the
deceased ran violently around the body seven times, crying in a loud
voice to the gods that another soul was awaiting reincarnation, while a
wild-eyed, maniacal-looking priest took up a huge bunch of straw and
made the circuit seven times, giving vent to the most uncanny wail, when
the son or husband of the dead touched the burning torch to the straw
underneath; soon all was ablaze. The mourners, a few women, withdrew,
and a man, whose office it is, stood near by, and as the arms or legs or
pieces of burning wood fell, would replace them with a pitch fork.
Scores of bodies were brought in that morning, but seeing two cremations
was all we needed to make an indelible impression not easily eradicated.
It requires about two hours to reduce the body to ashes, or a granulated
substance, when it is gathered and thrown into the holy river, and the
excavation is made clean for another body.

The Ghats or sacred steps leading down to the waters of the Hoogly are
in the same vicinity. Throngs of bathing pilgrims, of both sexes, were
gathered for their morning ablutions. After wading out nearly waist
deep, they would place their hands reverently together, and apparently
after a prayer with great earnestness, dip themselves three times into
the water, and those who had flowers (the marigold seemed the favorite),
as they prayed would cast them upon the waters one by one, then scour
their feet, rinse their mouth and wash their garment, filling