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Page 28
Sir Francis, recognising the statue, whispered, "The goddess Kali;
the goddess of love and death."
"Of death, perhaps," muttered back Passepartout, "but of love--
that ugly old hag? Never!"
The Parsee made a motion to keep silence.
A group of old fakirs were capering and making a wild ado round the statue;
these were striped with ochre, and covered with cuts whence their blood
issued drop by drop--stupid fanatics, who, in the great Indian ceremonies,
still throw themselves under the wheels of Juggernaut. Some Brahmins,
clad in all the sumptuousness of Oriental apparel, and leading a woman
who faltered at every step, followed. This woman was young, and as
fair as a European. Her head and neck, shoulders, ears, arms,
hands, and toes were loaded down with jewels and gems with bracelets,
earrings, and rings; while a tunic bordered with gold, and covered
with a light muslin robe, betrayed the outline of her form.
The guards who followed the young woman presented a violent contrast
to her, armed as they were with naked sabres hung at their waists,
and long damascened pistols, and bearing a corpse on a palanquin.
It was the body of an old man, gorgeously arrayed in the habiliments
of a rajah, wearing, as in life, a turban embroidered with pearls,
a robe of tissue of silk and gold, a scarf of cashmere sewed with diamonds,
and the magnificent weapons of a Hindoo prince. Next came the musicians
and a rearguard of capering fakirs, whose cries sometimes drowned the noise
of the instruments; these closed the procession.
Sir Francis watched the procession with a sad countenance, and,
turning to the guide, said, "A suttee."
The Parsee nodded, and put his finger to his lips. The procession slowly
wound under the trees, and soon its last ranks disappeared in the depths
of the wood. The songs gradually died away; occasionally cries were heard
in the distance, until at last all was silence again.
Phileas Fogg had heard what Sir Francis said, and, as soon as
the procession had disappeared, asked: "What is a suttee?"
"A suttee," returned the general, "is a human sacrifice, but a voluntary one.
The woman you have just seen will be burned to-morrow at the dawn of day."
"Oh, the scoundrels!" cried Passepartout, who could not repress
his indignation.
"And the corpse?" asked Mr. Fogg.
"Is that of the prince, her husband," said the guide; "an independent
rajah of Bundelcund."
"Is it possible," resumed Phileas Fogg, his voice betraying not
the least emotion, "that these barbarous customs still exist in India,
and that the English have been unable to put a stop to them?"
"These sacrifices do not occur in the larger portion of India,"
replied Sir Francis; "but we have no power over these savage territories,
and especially here in Bundelcund. The whole district north of the Vindhias
is the theatre of incessant murders and pillage."
"The poor wretch!" exclaimed Passepartout, "to be burned alive!"
"Yes," returned Sir Francis, "burned alive. And, if she were not,
you cannot conceive what treatment she would be obliged to submit
to from her relatives. They would shave off her hair, feed her
on a scanty allowance of rice, treat her with contempt;
she would be looked upon as an unclean creature, and would die
in some corner, like a scurvy dog. The prospect of so frightful
an existence drives these poor creatures to the sacrifice
much more than love or religious fanaticism. Sometimes, however,
the sacrifice is really voluntary, and it requires the active
interference of the Government to prevent it. Several years ago,
when I was living at Bombay, a young widow asked permission
of the governor to be burned along with her husband's body;
but, as you may imagine, he refused. The woman left the town,
took refuge with an independent rajah, and there carried out
her self-devoted purpose."
While Sir Francis was speaking, the guide shook his head several times,
and now said: "The sacrifice which will take place to-morrow at dawn
is not a voluntary one."
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