Miscellanies. ANOTHER WOMAN BURNT ALIVE. Extract of a Letter from Mr. Peter, dated Balasore, Sept. 6th, 1814. "A horrible thing was done in this town a few days ago. Ochob, a neighbour of mine, died, aged sixty or seventy years, having four or five married sons, several daughters, and, also, grand children. He used to work for me, and I had, many times, been at his shop, and spoke there the words of eternal life to his sons, and others, as well as to him, often at his house and my own. His answer was always favourable; he acknowledged me to be a true teacher of the way of God, and was very religious in his own heathenism. He used to entertain viragees, vishnuvas, and plukeers, very often. I have seen crowds at his house. About eight months ago, he came to me, and asked for one of our books, wishing to read it at his own house. I was very glad to give him an Orissa New Testament, which he continued reading or hearing. About a month ago, he fell sick, and, on Saturday last, as I was returning from preaching to a large congregation at Mootigunj, one of his sons returned the Orissa Testament; and, yesterday morning, I heard that the man was dead, and that his wife, aged forty-five or fifty years, was going to die with her beloved husband's body, in the burning flame. I was very sorry; had I known of his sickness, before the book was returned to me, I would certainly have endeavoured to approach his death-bed, with the news of salvation. Alas! I canhot help it; the soul is gone. I sent word to his sons, that I wished to speak with their mother, but they refused my entrance into their house, and desired, if I wished to speak with her, to go to the place of burning, which was on the high road, a little distant from the town. I watched the opportunity, and, about four o'clock in the afternoon, I was informed, that the miserable woman had been led out from her house, the corpse of her husband having been carried a little before, to the place, under the shade of a large tree. Hearing this, I went thither. Finding her in the midst of a large crowd, and surrounded with a great noise, and a band of music, I knew not how to get to her, but some of the crowd immediately helped me. I joined my hands, and implored the musicians to let me pass to her for five minutes, that I might speak to her. I said, I am very sorry for her: upon this, the crowd (near one thousand men) gave me room to approach, and all the musicians stopped their music. As soon as I got before her, I saw about twenty women surrounding her, and she in a most fantastic dress; almost her whole body was covered with garlands: she had on a large cap of flowers, and her forehead was covered with red paint. She had a cocoa-nut in her hand, but remained silent, listening to what the others were saying to her. As soon as I approached her, I opened the Orissa Testament, and, from the 16th chapter of Acts, and the 28th verse, I cried out, 'Do thyself no harm;' this is a sin against God, and is unpardonable; I am a servant of God, and I love your soul; I am come to tell you, from the mouth of God, Do thyself no harm.' She only shook her head, but seemed not to believe me: afterwards she said, No, no,' when I persuaded her not to go to the fire. The crowd did not like me to be near her any longer; however, I entreated her to speak to me, which she did, but it was through her nose, so that I was not able to understand her. She gave me two flowers: I told her, I did not want flowers, but her life: she shook her head. Then I again said, 'Do thyself no harm;' if you do it, I am free from your blood. She, and the erowd, then proceeded to the place of death. "I am sorry I was not able to do her any good. I followed, warning her and the crowd, against the horrible crime, with the New Testament in my hand. She bathed in a tank, and then, being almost unable to walk, several persons held her shoulders and arms, and took her to the spot: the flames were ready to receive her. The crowd was now about four thousand men. Three gentlemen were on elephants very near to the flame. She went round the fire, and threw some milk over the burning corpse. Three or four men were at her back, to shove her into the fire, but she fell on the fire, and was soon burnt to ashes. The crowd testified their approbation during the procession, from her house to the burning flame, by crying out, Huri-bul! Huri-bul!' I never saw before such a horrible death." WORSHIP OF SERPENTS. Mr. Thomas, of Chaugacha, in a late letter, says, "Yesterday morning, a native doctor informed me, that, the day before, three Hindoos had been worshipping some snakes, to which they offered milk. The snakes drank some of the milk, and the remainder was drank by these three Hindoos, who then began to play with the snakes, and permitted them to bite them in different parts of the body. Two of the men are dead. These infatuated men lived at Káta-gura, at the indigo factory of Mr. Malchus." MAN BURIED ALIVE.. Extract of a letter from Patna, dated Sept. 12, 1814. "About thirty years ago, Hindoo, named Vusunt-Girr, resided at a village, called Shookla, thirty koss from Patna, in the vicinity of Guya, so famous for its sanctity: this man, by his selfdenial, austerity, and rigid observance of the shastras, from a very early age, had acquired the title of bhukut; but, ambitious of singularity, he would fain go out of the world as a saint. This poor deluded victim of superstition made his intention no secret, and expected, no doubt, to be greatly applauded for his bold resolution of sacrificing the world, (as he imagined,) in order to attain to the greatest degree of holiness; but his brother prevailed on him, for several months, to restrain himself from an act, for which he saw no necessity, Though restrained for a season, this devotee was not thus to be overcome, One day, when his brother was gone to a neighbouring village, he desired two or three of his obsequious disciples (for he had many) to dig a well in his own compound, about ten feet deep: this done, he descended into it, and sat down, and was about to have the earth thrown over him, | doing, I should be thought by some when his brother (who had been of my too partial friends to neglect secretly called) arrived, and im- a duty, I will intrude for a short mediately went down to dissuade time upon your patience and atteu him; but to no purpose; for he tion; and present a striking exassured him, that nothing he, or ample of the benefits derived by any one else, could do, should an afflicted individual from the cause him to desist. The bro-private perusal of the Bible. ther hereupon lamented his ob- More than twelve months ago, stinacy with tears, and, after I went, pursuant to the request spending half an hour in loud of a poor, but benevolent-hearted cries, and fruitless grief, he pro-woman, in my neighbourhood, to ceeded to the last fatal and dread- visit an indigent man deeply af ful act: he first took about ten flicted. On entering the cottage seers of salt, and placed it all I found him alone, his wife having round his brother, and then, over gone to procure him milk from a it, the earth, till it reached the kind neighbour. I was startled poor man's chin; when the latter by the sight of a pale, emaciated desired the brother to depart, man, a living image of death, and leave him to die.' The bro- fastened upright in his chair, by ther now took his last sad farewell a rude mechanism of cords and of him, placing an earthen pot belts hanging from the ceiling. over his head; and, when he had He was totally unable to move ascended to the top, by steps, he, either hand or foot, having more with the disciples, filled up the than four years been entirely de well with the earth dug out of it, prived of the use of his limbs, yet and thus jointly contributed to the whole time suffering extreme murder the deluded brother, in anguish from swellings at all his the twenty-third year of his age. joints. They immediately raised a mud Chubootura on the spot, which is to be seen to this day, and on which the people of the village make small offerings, and perform pooja. To attest the above, there are hundreds of living witnesses at Shookla, and in the vicinity of Guya." As soon as I had reco vered a little from my surprise at seeing so pitiable an object, I asked, 'Are you left alone, my friend, in this deplorable situa tion?" No, Sir," replied he, in a touchingly-feeble tone of mild re signation (nothing but his lips and his eyes moving while he spake), "I am not alone, for God is with me." On advancing, I soon discovered the secret of his striking declaration; for his wife had left on his knees, propped with a cushion formed for the purpose, a Bible lying open at a favourite portion of the Psalms of David! I sat down by him, and conversed WERE I to yield to my own with him. On ascertaining that inclinations, I should retire from he had but a small weekly allowthis chair with a heart full of de-ance certain, I inquired how the lightful feeling on account of what remainder of his wants were supwe have heard, but in perfect si- plied. "Why, Sir," said he, lence. Yet, as I know that by so "'tis true, as you say, seven shil Extract from the Speech delivered by LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, lings a-week would never support | joy the same uninterrupted com- us. But when it is gone, I rely This, and much more, did I What, I would ask, what but the heartfelt influence of the truths of religion, what but the most decided faith in the promises of the gospel, could enable a man to sustain such a continuity of affliction, not merely with tranquillity, but with thankfulness? And what can convince an individual of the utility, nay, the duty, of distributing Bibles among the indigent, who does not become persuaded by such an example as this? For all this poor man's knowledge, and all his internal comfort, were derived from the Word of God. But I have been sometimes asked, and, great as is the unanimity which obviously pervades this assembly, there may be one or two persons present who would repeat the question Why do you distribute Bibles alone? I answer, because the Bible alone contains all the truths essential to salvation; and, because, in many countries to which Bibles are sent, the attempt to disseminate any other books with them would be perfectly ridiculous. No person can cherish a higher veneration for the Book of Common Prayer than I do; yet I should think it extremely absurd to circulate it in Greenland, or in the South - Sea Islands. None can more warmly admire than I do, * This was fully realized. The contributions of different Persons and Societies not only kept him from want, but furnished him with many little comforts, during the remainder of his life. And, at his death, his Wife, and different Friends, had money in hand, which went far towards defraying the expenses of a decent funeral, the devotional poetry of Watts | energy. Had the Society been so formed as to give away prayer books, or hymn books with the Bible, it would have been supported by one class of Christians, and would have been productive of limited good, in a limited sphere, confined almost to a part of this little island. But as it is now constituted, it rests upon the united energies of all ranks, classes, and persuasions, and has become the instrument, I had almost said, of unlimited good; assuming for its fulcrum the metropolis of Britain, but reaching to the remotest regions of the earth. The simplicity of its plan renders it invincible under God. To whatever part of the globe its friends can direct it, there it becomes "mighty to the pulling down of strong holds," the eradication of evil, and, above all, the communication of lasting, nay, everlasting benefits. and Cowper, and some of that Obituary. MARY RUSHER was born at | been long disciplined in the Reading, Dec. 12, 1800. Her school of affliction, but it was parents were both members of happily evident, that in her was the baptist church in that town, verified that gracious promise, and sincerely aimed to bring up" All thy children shall be taught their family in the nurture and of the Lord." On entering into admonition of the Lord; nor is converse with her, which was not the dear departed child the only easy at first, owing to the natural instance in which their pious care timidity and diffidence of her appears to have been followed temper, I was agreeably surprised with a blessing. At what time, to discover so considerable a deor in what particular mode she gree of acquaintance with the received her first serious impres- secret evils of her heart, and the sions, I know not; but soon after more refined and spiritual tempthe commencement of my ac- tations of the great adversary of quaintance with her parents, I was souls. It was not a little affectstruck with the unusual sedate-ing to hear how she would lament ness of her manners, and the at- the coldness of her love to Christ, tention which she paid to religious conversation. It is true that, young as she was, she had -to witness her constant dread of self-deception, and her habi tual fear lest she should have |