to the probable acquiescence of British authorities, British officers are made observant spectators; whilst numbers of fellow-creatures are beheld busily employed in conveying and heaping together the fagot and the combustible materials, and others constructing the pile thereof with much wood, strewing with studious care the insidiously destructive fuel, and joyously active, as if they built a temple for their god, or a palace for their king; whilst the directions of the magistrate are given, and the servants of his government employed to advance with speed, and to arrange in order, the diabolical preparations. Oh! it is awful indeed! and the spectators are ready, looking around with apprehension, to inquire, is this the doing of fellowimmortals, and is this a place on earth we occupy?

But the victim! where is she, and how employed? There-garlanded, decked with her jewels, clothed in her sacred garments; her face and feet, legs and arms, bedaubed with saffron and other ingredients; appearing about thirty years of age; exhibiting a smile of apathetic complacency, but bending in her form, evidently as if she would live the years of age in a few hours; surrounded by deceivers in the garb of brahmins, the greater number of these old, haggard, and worn down in the service; grey haired, but not for a crown of glory; their words not the accents of mercy or of wisdom; their countenance stern, but not for virtue, showing dispositions not congenial with earth or heaven. If their hands had reeked thick with a brother's blood, and its voice had been uttering vengeance

in their ears-if the stamp of Cain had already distinguished their foreheads, you could not have had more to deprecate or to contemn. Thus was the poor creature surrounded, in company with a few women, who aided. the delusions of infatuation, who placed a value upon the distinguishing tokens of her favour, who bowed their head to the touch of her sacred hand, who pleaded for her presents, and almost scrambled for her gifts. The influential guide too of her last moments was an old brahmin, not far from the grave; he directed her to the distribution of fruits, cocoa-nut, and pounded seeds, clothes and small sums of money, and contended with other brahmins regarding the appropriation of the residue of her property.

Her husband lay at her feet bound to his bier, retaining the marks of old age, having reached nearly to the years of threescore and ten. The bier was placed upon the pile and under a canopy, heaped with fuel, suspended by ropes, and upheld by four rough poles fixed in the ground, and forming a square.

Then proceeded the ceremony of execrable murder, with as much regularity as if orders had been issued by him who was a murderer from the beginning. The victim was led to the place of sacrifice: round this she slowly paced, still conferring her favours, and bestowing her unsubstantial gifts. Once did she thus walk accompanied, and twice alone; she then kneeled by the right side of the deceased, and assumed the posture of supplication; when arisen, she was guided to the left side, where the pyre should be ascended. I saw

my fellow-creature, an immortal being, place herself with apparent composure on the combustible matter laid to consume her, and here again confer her last tokens on a favoured few. By her own hands were her garments loosened, her jewels removed and given to her sister, and, as if to sleep only till to-morrow, did she lay herself down behind her insensate companion.

But was there no one who would break the charm, and open a vista to that awful region whither she would go? was there no humanity? was there no moral sensibility to render those present capable of feeling the obligations of the divine law? Saith the Scripture in vain, "If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; if thou sayest, behold we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart, consider it, and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it, and shall not he render to every man according to his works?" And what shall we say when a word from the chief magistrate would have put an immediate stop to, and prevented the whole proceeding, that instead of this he was pointing to the over-casting clouds, urging forward the perpetrators, and by his servants keeping order for destruction? They were his attendants who by their swords cut the cords of the suspended pile, the falling of which crushed and imprisoned the victim. He had previously been requested by one present to inquire if the poor woman would accept of an escape; but he employed an officiating brahmin, furiously am

bitious of perpetrating the horrid deed, and directed him to ask if she would remain. This was done at the moment when she was looked upon and addressed as little less than divinity, and worshipped, before the consuming fire appeared, or any thing of the awful scene was realized. The magistrate was told that this was his business (which was admitted), that he ought to see to it, that one word from him would prevent the murder, that it was a sinful, an awfully bad transaction, that he ought to withstand the design, and that one day he would have to answer for his conduct.

What expression sufficiently strong can be given to our thoughts, when instead of endeavouring to avert the awfully fearful tragedy, numbers were seen, by songs and prayers, seeking to lull the apprehension and misguide the thoughts of the unhappy creature; while some were covering her with straw, others heaping together the wood, various others sprinkling oil apparently to facilitate ignition, not a few employed in the work of applying flaming torches, or, more coolly wicked, cautiously strewing only the seeds of cremation, and hundreds rendering their sanction to and becoming implicated in the deliberate and scandalous murder? How shall we describe their hardheartedness, their indifference, their obstinacy, and their guilt, when native Christians, and Christian native teachers, attempting to bear their testimony against the crime, and charging home the condemnation upon those engaged, had their voice and words drowned by noises purposely kept up, were driven

back from contiguity to the work of death by the servants of the magistrate ?-when British Christians and British authorities were compelled, should we not rather say infatuated, to stand still and behold a woman, with the smile of composure on her countenance, in the meridian of life, without a disease, with the red streak of suicide on her forehead, led calmly to the brink of destruction, placed by the body of her already sentenced husband, stretched out, her blood flowing full in her veins, covered with straw, for a few moments surrounded by the kindling element, then crushed beneath the ponderous load of fuel almost to suffocation, remaining in this situation unheard for eight minutes, and when approached by the flames, when scorched to misery by their influence, when assailed by death's dread sting, screaming and shrieking with piteous, heart-rending, piercing exclamations for help, for deliverance, unable to move a limb or turn from her woe for a moment;-to see all this, to hear all this, and not a hand dare to be put forth, not one person permitted to obey the instinct of nature, the call of helpless misery, the voice of reason, the stings of conscience, and the command of God? No! every one kept back by swords and staves until the devouring fire was too fierce for any one to approach, and even then the last moan hardly uttered, or ceasing to be heard. O merciful God! let it not cease to be heard till the powers of darkness are cast down, and the divine Redeemer, who made atonement for sin, and who is exalted to rule the nations, is recognized as universal King, and obeyed as rightful Lord, according to his word.