1 palanquins, behind the deceased, after them followed the seven
2 ifetr.dk slaves, barefooted; some of thatn appeared to be not
3 more than fourteen or fifteen years of age. The ranees, too,
4 were barefooted, their silk dresses were simple, and without any
5 ornaments, and they appeared to be indifferent to the awful
6 though voluntary fate which awaited them. Perhaps our hearts
7 throbbed more at the view of this dismal train than tl:>< s ■
8 of the poor victims themselves. The'body of lliuqect Sing
9 was placed on « hoard, to which it was probably fa fmed,
10 avid was carried on a light and den rated bier constructed in
11 the shape of a ship; the sails and Hags of the vessel were made
12 of rich golden and silk stuff (kintka.b), find of > hwu. re
13 sh wls. A number of people carried the In t from the interior
14 of the fortress up to the funeral-pile, th -re die hoard with
15 the body was taken out of it and deposited on the ground,
16 where, in what was u small garden, now s'ands a sununooltl, i. c.,
17 a tomb of the r yal family Hurtyeet Sing, Kurmek Sing
18 and Nu-N’ehul. Sing, i. e„ the father, son, and grandchild, to¬
19 gether with their wives and laves. The costly ornaments
20 of the richly decorated bier were given so live mob ; the
21 Brahmins peribrtned their prayers from the Sinister, a book
22 written in the Indian or Sanscrit lang inge ; the Gnoroos, or
23 priests of the Sikhs, did the same, front their holy scripture
24 called Grimthsaheh*, and the Mussehuen Rccoaijranieil them with
25 their “ Ya; Allah! Ya, Allah!" A slow, but not displeasing
26 rumbling of the drums, and the nun muring of the people, gave
27 to the whole scene a melancholy aspect, and was .peculiar to
28 the country The funeral-pile which displayed itself bofoie
29 the eyes of the spectators, was constructed of dry woods,
30 amongst which there were pieces of doe; it was about six fn-t
31 high and square. After the prayers of the Brahmins and
32 (looroos, which lasted nearly hn hour, the minister and other
33 sirdar* ascended by a ladder the funeral-pile, upon which
34 jgnitiblt matters and substances, as cotton seeds, 8tc., were
35 strewn, and the royal body was respectfully placed in tlte middle
36 • OfKAth Is tlift h'Uly book of Uah<i~' V«<- m.
37 VOT,. I.
38 K