When any one is convicted of thieving, a rope is tied round his neck (a running knot), and he is hung on a very high tree: there the body remains until it is mortified, or is forced down by the wind and rain. When any one among them is sick, a tent is raised for him at some distance from every hunian habitation: thither he is conveyed, and left with some food. His friends never afterwards approach too near him; they never speak to him; but every day they look at him at a distance, especially if he be a poor man, or slave. If he recovers, he returns to his own people; if he be a free man and dies, his corpse is burned; if a slave, it is left to be devoured by dogs and birds of prey. I had heard of the strange ceremonies they use when they burn the bodies of their chiefs, and I longed for an opportunity of seeing them; and at length see them I did with my own eyes. They began by laying the corpse in a ditch, and they mourned over it ten whole days while the funeral vestments were making. The corpse of a poor man is generally burned in a little boat. The property of a rich man is collected and divided into three portions; one for the relations he has left; another is sold to purchase vestments for him; the third is expended in spirits to be drunk on the day a female slave is killed and burned with her master. Most drink night and day, and to such an excess, that many die with the vessel at their mouth. When a great man dies, his relatives say to his slaves and servants: Which of you will die with him ?"-" I will!" replies some one of the males: the same question is put to the females, and the same answer returned by one of them. Two women are then appointed to guard the latter, to wash her feet, while the kinsfolk are busy making clothes and preparing other things necessary for the funeral. In the meantime the doomed female slave drinks, sings, and is merry. On the arrival of the day appointed for burning the body, I went to the river where the bark of the deceased was wont to be; but I could not find it there : it was elevated on four posts, surrounded by great wooden idols with human faces: before these many men were parading, and pronouncing words which I could not understand. The corpse lay in a ditch at some distance. A bier was placed in the bark, and covered with quilts, Greek stuffs, and pillows. Then came an old woman, called Angel of Death, who laid every thing in order on the bier. (This is the old woman who superintends the making of the clothes, and the other preparations; it is she also who kills the slave.) Then the corpse was drawn out of the ditch, as well as the drink, the fruit, and the lute which had been laid there. The deceased was dressed in the same linen vestments in which he died. The freezing cold of the ditch had blackened the corpse: in other respects it was unchanged. It was then clothed in a shirt, boots, vests, a silk habit, with golden buttons, a girdle, and a bonnet made from the skin of a marten: it was then laid on the bier within the vessel; it was surrounded with cushions: spirits, fruit, incense, bread, meat, and onions were placed at its side; and so was the armour worn by the deceased. A dog was brought, cut in two, and the pieces thrown into the boat: two horses, two cows, a cock and a hen shared the same fate. In the mean time the devoted girl walked about. She entered a chamber where one of her late master's male relations came to sleep by her side; he said to her: "Hadst thou not taken this resolution, who would have paid any attentions to thee?" This was Friday afternoon. The girl was conducted to a kind of cage prepared for the ceremony: some men carried her in their She uttered several words as she looked through the bars of the cage. arms. Three Three times successive was she raised up, and as often let down to the ground. A cock was given her; she cut off its head, and threw it away: the bystanders picked it up, and threw it into the vessel. I asked for an explanation of what I had seen, and a certain one replied: "The first time the girl looked into the cage, she said I see my parents! the second time, now I see all my deceased kinsfolk! the third time, there is my master, in a beautiful, smiling paradise, surrounded by men and young people: he calls me,—let me go to him! She was conducted to the bark: she took off her bracelets, which she delivered to the old woman called Angel of Death; her rings she laid at the feet of two girls who waited on her, and who were called daughters of the Angel of Death. She was then carried into a small cabin at one end of the vessel; and certain men armed with shields and clubs presented her with something which, after singing, she drank. My interpreter said: "She is now bidding farewell to her friends." Drink was again offered her, which she accepted, and she again sung; but suddenly the old woman ordered her to drink quietly, and enter another little room, where her master's corpse lay. She changed colour, and as she appeared afraid to enter, she looked in at the door. The old woman seized her by the hair, and dragged her in. The men then began to beat their bucklers with their clubs, so as to drown the cries of the victim, which might one day have prevented other girls from dying for their masters. Six men entered the apartment, and placed her by the corpse: two seized her by the legs, two other by the arms. The old woman, Angel of Death, put a cord round her neck, and gave it to be pulled tight by the two remaining men: she then took up a long knife, which she plunged into the heart of the girl; she drew it out, and the men pulled the cord until the victim was dead. The nearest relation of the deceased advanced: he was naked: he lighted a brand, went backwards towards the bark, and set fire to the wood which was underneath: others also threw blazing pieces of wood on the funeral pile. Soon the bier, the bark, the apartment, the corpse of the master and slave,— every thing within was consumed: a high wind made the flames rage violently. A Russian was near me conversing with my interpreter. "What is he saying?" demanded I. "That you Arabs are fools: the man you have most loved you bury in the ground to be eaten by worms: we burn him at once, and so send him to heaven without delay." The Russian now began to smile: "God shews," said he, " that he loved the dead: he sends his winds to consume the corpse more speedily!" Where the bark had stood, the people raised a kind of circular mound, in the middle of which they erected a column; it bore the name of the dead man, and of the reigning prince of Russia. After these things, every one returned home. : Such, says Yakut, are the details which I have extracted, word by word, from the work of the son of Totzlaw: let the author himself answer for their truth! God knows how it is, better than any other. At present we know the Russians are Christians, BILLS on Account of Supplies to the Public Service, and Bills drawn on India £. s. d. 105,904 7 0 COMPANY'S Goods £105,904 7 0 COMMERCIAL Charges on Private-Trade, warehoused and sold by the Company... Freight on Private Goods imported and exported Interest on the Annuities Owners of Ships, for Advances and Supplies Abroad; and Goods short delivered in India and China of outward Consignments... Private-Trade Goods sold Fee-Funds for House and Warehouses.... Widows' Funds for Officers of House and Warehouses, &c.......... ceeds of Tea Bills in favour (remitted by Company's Agent at Cape ............... Sale of Stock in Public Funds standing in Company's name......... Balance in favour, 1st May 1827 (exclusive of duty on Tea)... Territorial Receipts. .......... Commercial ditto... .............. 262,024 4 5 £105,904 7 9,254,223 1 8} 9,360,127 8 8 £9,622,151 13 1 PRINTED BY ORDER OF PARLIAMENT. RECEIPTS, CHARGES, AND PAYMENTS, IN GREAT BRITAIN. PAYMENTS. BILLS of Exchange from India, for Principal and Interest of India Debt, viz. £. s. d. .£610,241 8 112 659,249 7 8 For Effects of deceased officers, and other Remittances. Freight of Stores, &c. chargeable to H.M.'s Government Territorial and Political Charges and Advances in England: Civil Establishments of India; Absentee Allowances and Payments ............ Carnatic Debts: Interest on Claims adjudicated...£113,481 8 5,162 8 8 577,045 3 399,872 2 7 .... 37,742 6 4 68,760 13 1 173,817 10 10 118,439 13 0 4,958 5 1,673 2 6 100,162 4 4 Tanjore Debts: Current Charges and Salaries of Commissioners Ditto Prince of Wales's Island, 2,831 16 of Political Charges General, and Advances re-payable ......... 3,848 19 1 493,945 19 0 60,000 0 0 211,452 0 11 125 2 4 £2,911,296 13 10 £. s. d. BRANCH. FREIGHT and Demorage..... ... Goods for Sale and Use, exported and to be exported........ Charges General ........ Interest on Bond Debt Ditto on other Loans and Accounts Current Dividends on Stock Fee-Funds for the House and Warehouses 633,356 11 2 2,421,051 1 6 17,484 2 2 82,995 10 6 18,116 4 7 157,360 16 3 Balance in favour 1st May 1828 (exclusive of Duty on Tea)..... 9,309,513 5 5 312,638 7 8 A STATEMENT of their Bond Debts, and SIMPLE CONTRACT DEBTS, with the Rates other Effects appertaining to the Company in Great DEBTS. To Bills of Exchange unpaid, from India and St. Helena POLITICAL AND £. 446,141 78,700 113,661 66,319 ............. .*10,704,276 Warrants passed the Court unpaid Amount owing for Territorial Exports r Unclaimed Prize-Money applicable to Lord Clive's Fund Commercial Branch, for Territorial and Political Payments made in His Majesty's Government, on account of Pay Office Demands, &c.... 610,560 £12,019,657 COMMERCIAL To Bills of Exchange, unpaid £104,232 Freight and Demorage....... 267,900 Supra-Cargoes' Commission upon all Goods sold and unsold What owing for Teas returned by the Buyers, and resold...... Amount owing to the Fee-Funds and Widows' Funds, the latter bearing interest at 5 per cent. per annum...................... |