DESCRIPTION BY A MAHOMETAN OF A SATI, OR BURNING OF A WIDOW. From the Asiatic Register.

The circumstance recently took place near Commillah. A niece of the late Rajah of Tipperah was the object in question. About four o'clock in the evening I went to the place pointed out for the sacrifice; soon after which the procession made its appearance to the sound of martial music; upon a cot (such as in general is made use of by Europeans) appeared the corpse at full length, elegantly dressed in the finest muslin, having his face painted after the manner of the Rajputs, and a star made of numerous coloured threads and small thin pieces of bamboo, about the size of a thick darning needle, attached to his ears, Upon the same cot, in a reclining posture, was his wife, most superbly dressed in muslin and fine clothes; her hair was loose and encircled in various wreaths of yellow flowers, having rings of pure gold in her ears and nose, and upon her wrists and ancles were rings of pure silver. Numerous attempts were made by her relations, and by myself, to dissuade her from the rash step she was about to make, but all to no purpose. At length, the night fast approaching, various culis were employed to dig a hole in the ground, which was made in the form of a cross; during the making of which she repeatedly made inquiries as to its exactness. Having satisfied herself upon this subject, she then observed that there was not a sufficiency of wood to keep up a large fire till day-light, and then directed her confessor (a Brahmin) to get for her seven Supari trees; which being brought, she then expressed a wish to have the ceremony commenced;she then descended from the cot, placed a number of cowries in a cloth, which she distributed only to her own caste, repeating a short sentence from the Vedas, and receiving for answer the words Ram, Hori, Ram, Krishno, Hori. She was then bathed, and walked round the funeral pile (which was about six feet long and four broad) three times, and was again bathed; she then distributed her wearing apparel, but retained all her ornaments; again walked four times (in all seven) round the pile, and was again bathed; she then advanced to the pile and spoke to her female relations, recommending their following her example, (as I was afterwards told,) desired a Brahmin to give her a black pigeon, and resolutely stepped upon the pile. The corpse of her deceased husband was then brought and placed close to her, which she clasped in her arms and kissed; then desired the friends to make no delay, and retired to rest-to rest, I may safely say, as upon feeling her pulse before the fire was communicated, I could not perceive the least motion in it. Fire was then communicated to the pile amidst loud shouts from the spectators, the music playing the whole time; and although the flame was very bright, yet for a time it was completely hidden from the sight by showers of short bamboos which were thrown into it by the by-standers, both Hindoos and Mussulmen. The Sati was a most beautiful woman, very fair, and having a countenance somewhat resembling the Chinese. Suffice it to say, that

I retired filled with sensations of a nature not the most enviable. The sight was altogether in the words of the poet,

'Sublimely grand and awfully terrific.'

Tipperah, 30th December, 1816.

MIRZA KAZEEM.

JUVENILE DEPARTMENT.

On Early Piety.

THERE is nothing so indispensably necessary to the establishment of future happiness, whether earthly or heavenly, as early impressions of piety; for as religion is the sole source of human welfare and peace, so habits of religious reflection, in the spring of life, are the only means of arriving at the due sense of the importance of divine concerns in age, except by the bitter and hazardous roads of repentance and remorse. To ensure you, my young friends, as far as precept can ensure you, from horrors like these in your last moments, I would, through the blessing of the Divine Being, induce you to reflect on the importance of your duties to God and to your own souls.

The contrast between the lives of the good and the wicked man, affords such convincing arguments in support of the excellence of religion, that even those infidels who have dared to assert their disbelief of the doctrine of revelation, have confessed, that in a political point of view, if in no other, it ought to be maintained. Compare the peaceful and collected course of the virtuous and pious man with the turbulent irregularity and violence of him who neglects his soul for the allurements of vice, and judge for yourselves of the policy of the conduct of each even in this world. Whose pleasures are the most exquisite? whose delights the most lasting? whose state is the most enviable? His, who barters his hopes of eternal welfare for a few fleeting moments of brutal gratifications; or his, who, while he keeps a future state alone in his view, finds happiness in the conscientious performance of his duties, and the scrupulous fulfilment of the end of his sojourn here?

Believe me, my friends, there is no comparison between them. The joys of the infatuated mortal, who sacrifices his soul to his sensualities, are mixed with bitterness and anguish the voice of conscience rises distinctly to his ear, amid the shouts of intemperance and the sallies of obstreperous mirth. In the hour of rejoicing she whispers her appalling monitions to him, and his heart sinks within him; the smile of triumphant villany is then converted into the ghastly grin of horror and hopelessness. But oh! in the languid intervals of intemperance, in the dead hour of the night, when all is solitude and silence-when the soul is driven to commune with itself-and the voice of remorse, whose whispers were before half drowned in the noise of riot, rises dreadfully distinct, what-what are his emotions? who can paint his agonies, his lamentations, his despair?

Let that man lose again in the vortex of fashion, and folly, and vice, the remembrance of his horrors; let him smile, let him laugh and be merry; believe me, my dear readers, he cannot be happy; he is not careless, he is not the jovial being he appears to be; his heart is heavy within him, he cannot stifle the reflections which assail him, even in the very moment of enjoyment; but strip the painted veil from his bosom, lay aside the trappings of folly, and that man is miserable; and not only so, but he has purchased that misery at the expense of eternal torment.

Let us oppose to this awful picture the life of the good man; of him, who with cheerfulness rises in the morning to praise his Creator for all the good he hath bestowed upon him, and to perform with studious exactness the duties of his station, and who lays himself down on his pillow in the evening in the sweet consciousness of the applause of his own heart: place this man on the stormy seas of misfortune and sorrow-press him with the afflictive dispensations of Providence-separate him for ever from all he loves and holds dear on earth, and leave him isolated and an outcast in the world; he is calm-he is composed-he is grateful-he weeps, but he still preserves his composure-he still looks up to the Giver of all good with thankfulness and praise, and perseveres with calmness and fortitude in the paths of righteousness. His disappointments cannot overwhelm him, for his chief hopes were placed far, very far, beyond the reach of human vicissitude. "He hath chosen that good part which none can take away from him."

Here then lies the great excellence of religion and piety: they not only lead to eternal happiness, but to the happiness of this world; they not only ensure everlasting bliss, but they are the sole means of arriving at that degree of felicity which this dark and stormy being is capable of, and they are the sole supports in the hour of adversity and affliction. How infatuated then must that man be who can wilfully shut his eyes to his own welfare, and deviate from the paths of righteousness which lead to bliss. Even allowing him to entertain the erroneous notion that religion does not lead to happiness in this life, his conduct is incompatible with every idea of a reasonable being. H. KIRKE WHITE.

AMERICAN COLONIZATION SOCIETY. Address of the Synod of Tennessee to the Society for the Colonization of the free people of colour in the United States.

To the Hon. Bushrod Washington, Esq., President, &c.

RESPECTED SIR,-Through you the Synod of Tennessee embrace with lively pleasure an early opportunity of congratulating the society formed at the capital of our nation, and consisting of so many of our distinguished statesmen and fellow-citizens, for the colonization of the free people of colour among us who may accede to their plan. We congratulate you on the noble and important object for which you are associated-on the providential signs of our

times, which signally favour your efforts; and on the wide spread and growing impression upon the public mind, that your success is connected with the best interests, not only of the people of colour, but of our country and mankind. If it be important that legal equality should accompany liberty, that Africa should receive the gospel, and that the evils of the slave trade should be overruled for her final enjoyment of the blessings of civilization and knowledge, liberty and religion, then it is important that your design should be encouraged. We wish you, therefore, to know, that within our bounds the public sentiment appears clearly and decidedly in your favour, and that the more vigorously and perseveringly you combine and extend your exertions on the plan you have adopted, the more you are likely to be crowned with the approbation of the people as well as with the higher rewards of doing good. As ministers and disciples of him who proclaims light to them that sit in darkness, peace to a jarring world, liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound, we anticipate the glorious day when men shall know the Lord from the least unto the greatest in all lands; when every one shali sit under his own vine and under his own fig-tree, having none to molest or to make him afraid; when the rod of the oppressor and the tears of the oppressed shall be known no more; but all men shall do unto others as they would be done unto in similar circumstances. This glorious change in the state of the world we expect will be brought about by the instrumentality of men, under the blessing of God. While, then, the heralds of salvation go forth in the name and strength of their divine master to preach the gospel to every creature, we ardently wish that your exertions and the best influence of all philanthropists may be united to meliorate the condition of human society, and especially of its most degraded classes, till liberty, religion, and happiness shall be the enjoyment of the whole family of man. A true copy from the records of the Synod of Tennessee. CHARLES COFFIN, Stated Clerk. Nashville Church, Oct. 3d, 1817.

ON SLAVERY.

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, having taken into consideration the subject of Slavery, think proper to make known their sentiments upon it to the churches and people under their care.

We consider the voluntary enslaving of one part of the human race by another, as a gross violation of the most precious and sacred rights of human nature; as utterly inconsistent with the law of God, which requires us to love our neighbour as ourselves; and as totally irreconcilable with the spirit and principles of the Gospel of Christ, which enjoin that, "all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do you even so to them." Slavery creates a paradox in the moral system-it exhibits rational, accountable, and im

mortal beings, in such circumstances as scarcely to leave them the power of moral action. It exhibits them as dependent on the will of others, whether they shall receive religious instruction; whether they shall know and worship the true God; whether they shall enjoy the ordinances of the Gospel; whether they shall perform the duties and cherish the endearments of husbands and wives, parents and children, neighbours and friends; whether they shall preserve their chastity and purity, or regard the dictates of justice and humanity. Such are some of the consequences of slavery-consequences not imaginary--but which connect themselves with its very existence. The evils to which the slave is always exposed often take place in fact, and in the very worst degree and form: and where all of them do not take place, as we rejoice to say that in many instances, through the influence of the principles of humanity and religion on the minds of masters, they do not-still the slave is deprived of his natural right, degraded as a human being, and exposed to the danger of passing into the hands of a new master who may inflict upon him all the hardships and injuries which inhumanity and avarice may suggest.

From this view of the consequences resulting from the practice into which christian people have most inconsistently fallen, of enslaving a portion of their brethren of mankind-for " God hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth"it is manifestly the duty of all christians who enjoy the light of the present day, when the inconsistency of slavery, both with the dictates of humanity and religion, has been demonstrated and is generally seen and acknowledged, to use their honest, earnest, and unwearied endeavours to correct the errors of former times, and as speedily as possible to efface this blot on our holy religion, and to obtain the complete abolition of slavery throughout christendom, and, if possible, throughout the world.

We rejoice that the church to which we belong commenced as early as any other in this country the good work of endeavouring to put an end to slavery ;* and that in the same work many of its members have ever since been, and now are amongst the most active,

* In the minutes of the Synod of New-York and Philadelphia, for the year 1787, before the General Assembly was constituted, we find the following, viz:

"The Synod of New York and Philadelphia do highly approve of the general principles in favour of universal liberty that prevail in America; and of the interest which many of the states have taken in promoting the abolition of slavery; yet, inasmuch as men introduced from a servile state to a participation of all the privileges of civil society, without a proper education and without previous habits of industry, may be, in many respects, dangerous to the community: therefore, they earnestly recommend it to all the members belonging to their communion, to give those who are at present held in servitude, such good education as may prepare them for the better enjoyment of free. dom. And they moreover recommend, that masters, whenever they find servants disposed to make proper improvement of the privilege, would give them some share of property to begin with; or grant them sufficient time and sufficient means of procuring, by industry, their own liberty, at a moderate rate; that they may thereby be brought into society with those habits of industry that may render them useful citizens:-And finally, they recommend it to all the people under their care, to use the most prudent measures consistent with the interest and the state of civil society in the parts where they live, to procure eventually the final abolition of slavery in America.