OF HINDOUSTAN                         307

among his women, that the eff'ect of their remonstrances
may be tried. Notwithstanding these obstacles, the
number of self-immolations is still very considerable,
particularly in the territories of the Rajas, where no
Mahometan governors are appointed. But not to tire you
with the history of every woman whom I have seen perish
on the funeral pile, I shall advert to only two or three of
those shocking spectacles at which I have been present;
and first I shall give you some details concerning a female
to whom I was sent for the purpose of diverting her from
persevering in her dreadful intention.

One of my friends, named Bendidas,^ Danechmend-kan's
principal writer, died of a hectic fever for which I had
attended him upwards of two years, and his wife im¬
mediately resolved to burn herself with the body of her
husband. Her friends were in the service of my Agah,
and being commanded by him to dissuade the widow from
the commission of so frantic an act, they represented to
her that although she had adopted a generous and com¬
mendable resolution, which would redound to the honour
and conduce to the happiness of the family, yet she ought
to consider that her children were of a tender age, that it
would be cruel to abandon them, and that her anxiety for
their welfare ought to exceed the aff'ection she bore to the
memory of her deceased husband. The infatuated creature
attended not, however, to their reasoning, and I was re¬
quested to visit the widow as if by my Agah's desire, and in
the capacity of an old friend of the family. I complied, and
found on entering the apartment a regular witches' Sabat of
seven or eight old hags, and another of four or five excited,
wild, and aged Brahmens standing round the body, all of
whom gave by turns a horrid yell, and beat their hands with
violence. The widow was seated at the feet of her dead
husband ;   her hair was dishevelled and her visage pale,

^ The Muhamadanised form of Benidas, a common name among
Hindoo ' writers ' or clerks, who were largely employed, some of them
in positions of considerable responsibility, by the Moguls.