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went immediately. Mr. L. was ill of a bilious fever, and I was too unwell to venture out. Mrs. P. saw her on the way, and said a few words to her. She was giving away rice, which was eagerly received. About six o'clock in the evening, taking my usual evening ride, I thought I would go to the spot, expecting the tragical business to be closed before I arrived. I was surprized, however, to find nothing more was done, than the pile put in a pretty forward state for the awful sacrifice. The Judge and three other gentlemen, with some of our congregation, were present, and a great number of natives. Frequent and persevering efforts were made by the above humane gentlemen to dissuade her from her purpose, assisted by the members of the mission who were present. She was sitting near the pile, with the corpse of her husband, covered with a cloth, lying before her, insensible of the dreadful prepara-` tory work before her eyes. I knew two Telinga brahmuns present, and, taking them, endeavoured to speak with the woman, I told her that I was a Padree Saheb: that God had sent me and others to this country to teach the people about the true incarnation, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins; that if she would go with me to my house, she would be able to learn this knowledge, and that I would send her in a palkee to her own country, but, if she ate fire and died now, how could she get this knowledge, without which she could not be saved? I told her, thus to destroy herself was not God's will. I fear my Translators were not faithful, but all the poor woman said, was, Narayun, Narayun."* This she repeated with a stupidity and desperation of mind truly indescribable. I laid hold of her hand to take her away, but she refused to go, and took hold of my chin, which I understood afterwards, was to give me a blessing. Mr. B. one of the gentlemen present, was very desirous to convince her, by some ordeal, that she could not burn, but the infatuated woman played with a piece of fire like a child, and when her hand was pressed upon coal, she shewed no resolution. The above gentleman lifted ap one of her eyelids, and affirmed that she was intoxicated. This circumstance was stated to the Judge, and urged as a sufficient reason to forbid the horrid murder, but he thought it wanted evidence, and, though deeply affected with the poor woman's fate, he hesitated to use his authority to save her.

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A name of Jugunnat'ha,

"The pile, which was slowly preparing, was about 8 feet long, and 4 feet wide, being elevated like a bed about 2 feet. At each corner, were pieces of wood which supported a kind of canopy or roof of combustible materials. The east side only was left open, the others having supports to the roof, and different pieces of wood, which blocked them up. Some raw flax was laid on the top of the wood, upon which the corpse was placed. Ghee was humanely forbidden to be put on the pile by the Judge, that the poor woman might have the greater opportunity to escape, by feeling the effects of the fire gradually. A precaution, which, if the suttee was always, according to ancient custom, to ascend the funeral pile while burning, or if, previous to its being ignited, was left unbound and unincum bered, might prove the means of preventing the shedding of much innocent blood. As she had been touched by several persons, after her first bathing, she went to the river and bathed again. Two daring violations of the shasters, and of every feeling of humanity, prevail in Bengal, but they were avoided here, and appear to be so where, as at Pooree, a pit is used instead of a pile. The little, though contradictory, that the shasters say upon the subject of the suttee, shews that the widow who burns, instead of, according to Munoo, leading an ascetic life, ought to enter the burning pile, and not be tied, and bound, and pressed down with a quantity of wood, before it is lighted. Numerous accounts of suttees speak of the woman as pressed down by a great quantity of wood, and so situated as to preclude the possibility of escape. Through the Judge's humane orders, the woman was not bound in any manner, the pile was lighted before she entered it, and, on account of the wetness of the wood and prohibition of ghee, it burned very slowly. I saw her enter it as a person would get into bed, and she laid herself ealmly down by the left side of her husband, and farthest from the entrance of the pile. The wood under the corpse, after a short time, burned rapidly; and it was horrible to see it consuming the head and elevated stiffened hand of the deceased, while the poor woman was scarcely touched by the devouring element. I suppose I stopped a quarter of an hour, or twenty minutes, in hopes that the unhappy sufferer might labour to escape, but alas! no signs of it appeared, and after viewing the burning of the dead and the living till my feelings and concern for my health, determined me to go away, I left the circle, enquired for my horse, and hastened

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home. A kind of apathy pervaded me while present at this scene, which gives me pain upon reflection, but surely my heart dictates, in coincidence with reason and scripture, the extirpation of such horrid scenes from the face of the earth. All such outrages upon the principles of society are unnatural and inhuman, and when said to be from religious motives, a species of insanity, and hence may properly be suppressed by the powerful, the kind voice of reason and authority.

"In the morning the brother, with five or seven of his cast, took three or four kulsees, having sour milk and sugar, which were put on two dishes for the deceased. A cocoa-nut was broken,

and poured on the ashes, and the pundit stated that two figures of the deceased were to be made in sand, either then or after 20 days. I saw such figures the evening after the suttee at Pooree, in May last. The ashes were then to be gathered in a basket, and put into the river. A handful of their ashes were taken away for the purpose of being cast into the Ganges. The following Sunday morning, the brother of the woman came, begging; and so little idea have many of the European character, that, it was reported to me that the Judge had given three rupees towards the celebration of this dreadful ceremony, which he would most gladly have prevented. I offer. ed the poor unhappy man a Telinga gospel, but he was not desirous of taking it, and then sent him away, charging him, in the presence of some Natives, with the murder of his own sister. Oh, when shall these murders cease! Where does the god-like, salutary pow er lie, or from what quarter will it originate, to annihilate them?”

Postscript to our Readers.-" We are exceedingly sorry the publication of this number has been so delayed, but as sickness has been the sole cause we hope for indulgence. Having received, from Mr. Bampton, much additional and highly interesting infor mation respecting the last celebration of the Rut'h Jattra, it has been determined to embody all we possess in an article in the Quarterly Friend of India.

SOUTH AMERICAN STATES.- "THE progress of EDUCATI ON in the New States of South America is gradually consolidating their civil liberties, and opening the way to religious freedom. In Columbia, between forty and fifty Schools of Mutual Instruction have been established, one of which, at Santa Fé, contains six hundred Scholars. In Peru, the Government has manifested the deep interest which it feels in the universal education of the people, by a Decree, issued July 6, 1822, for the establishment of the system throughout the whole of Peru: the work had met with delay; but, in May last, it had been entered on with one hundred Scholars, in the College of the Domi nicans, at Lima, the whole of which has been appropriated by the Government to this object. For the preservation and extension of the design, the conduct of it has been committed to a speci al Society; and an article has been adopted in the Constitution, by which every person will be disqualified, after the year 1840, from becoming a citizen, who cannot read and write-time being given for the operation of this law, from a consideration of the neglect in which education has been left in these countries. In Chili, the Government has issued, on the 19th of January, a similar Decree, establishing a Society for the promotion of universal Mutual Instruction, under its own especial authority and patronage. In Buenos Ayres, at Mendoza at the foot of the Andes, Mr. Thompson, who has rendered in this State and in

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those of Chili and Peru the most important aid, organized a flourishing Female School, under the highest patronage: at San Juan and Monte Video, also, Schools were established. Of the state of Education in the Brazils, no particular information has appeared.

That some judgment may be formed of the manner in which the subject of Education is viewed in these lately emancipated portions of the New World, we shall quote the Decrees, above mentioned, issued by the Governments of Peru and Chili. In that of Peru, it is said,—

"Without Education, there is, properly speaking, no society. Men may, indeed, live together without it; but they cannot know the extent of the duties and the rights which bind them one to another, and it is in the knowledge of these duties and rights that the well-being of society consists. The bringing of Education to some degree of perfection is, from the nature of the thing, slow: to accomplish it, time is required and some degree of stability in the Government, as well as some other circumstances both natural and moral: all these must combine, in order that the education of the people may become general, and that thus a founda tion may be laid for the continuance of those Institutions which may be established among them. Of the various improvements which the Government has been desirous of making, none has been more earnestly and constantly kept in view, since the moment of its commencement, than the reformation of Public Education. In those intervals of tranquillity which have been enjoyed from the clamour of arms, this object has occupied their attention.

'In the same truly wise and patriotic strain, the Government of Chili speaks,

"The surest method of promoting the happiness of any country, is to make all the people in it well informed and industrious. An end has at length been put to the obstacles which prevented the Natives of Chili from enjoying those blessings which are enjoyed by other nations less favoured by nature, but who have preceded us in the cultivation of literature and the arts: it is hence necessary now to strain every nerve to regain that time, which idleness and darkness have thrown away we begin, then, by offering an opportunity of acquiring knowledge to all classes of the community, without respect of rank or fortune, or sex or age. The propagation of this system holds out the surest means of extirpating those principles formed among us during the time of darkness. The Government has resolved zealously to protect this establishment; and, as the best way of fulfilling its intention, has resolved to unite with it in this object those persons who have the same sentiments on the subject, and who at the same time possess that activity, zeal, and energy, which this important matter demands: The object of this Institution is, to extend, in every direction throughout Chili, the benefits of