Western Sun, Volume 4, Number 9, Vincennes, Knox County, 30 November 1811 — Page 1

THE WESTERN SUN

EACH CENTURY HAS ITS PECULIAR MODE OF DOING BUSINESS, AND MEN GUIDED MORE BY CUSTOM THAN BY REASON, FOLLOW WITHOUT ENQUIRY, THE MANNERS WHICH ARE PREVALENT IN THEIR OWN TIME.— HUME..

VOL. IV.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1811.

NO. 9.

THE WESTERN SUN, IS printed weekly at TWO DOLLARS per annum, paid in advance or an attested NOTE, payable at the end of the year for TWO DOLLAR & FIFTY CENTS. NO Subscription will be received for less term than one year—and will not be discontinued until all arrearages are paid. WHERE papers are sent by Post, the petson subscribing must pay the postage Ad rEft-Tist heat's cf 7io more length ihan. breadth vj:U be inserted three times for ONE Dollar, and Twenty-Five Cents, for every after insertion To avoid unpleasant disputes, it is requested of Advertising customers, that they particularly specif'' the number of times their Advertisement's are to be continued Those sent without such directions iu:il be continued until forbid and must be paid for accordingly. All Letters addressed to the f Editor . must be Post paid, or they will not be taken out cf the office

From the Liberty Hall. NEW SWITZERLAND. Is fituate on the riht bank of the Ohio rUrr, in Jeffrfon county, in the Indiana Territory, about iVven miles bove the ttouvii of Kentucky river. This fettle, iucni was begun in the Spring of the year 1803, hy fomeSwifs of the canton of VauJ, f umerly a part of the canton of Bern ; their ptincipd object is the introduiou of the culune of the Gia;e Vit;c in this country. This fcttl-tnent, or rather the place called New S .vitzerlar J, exteiids from abcut three qjrters of a time shove the mouth of P!u n ) creel;, down the liver to the m rj:h of Venge creek, known Ly the nrne of I idi n cree k a tiiit .r.ce of about four miW r.J z h lr, fronting the liver, ami exten.iini; htk for the q nntity of about 3 TOO ai res cf !nc! 2,500 of which th-y hive pur 'i.tlVJ ur ti-r uv in f-vorof F. lv.m-3 D'.it'ur nJ his allot iRtes, allowing them twelve yeas-i to piy for it frtMn 1802, the titr.e of the purclnfe ; the rrr.nider tti-v Inv- huti'it as other t'.nc'vifrrs, atui p iid fr it. The Ijw t ei d. about two miles alonc r rivtr, is (c n i-d hy 13 Swjfs fanidirS, Contiiiinv C't i.tdividmls of rvery ag ID ot ih' ! s h ve fucccilivt ly com to jam the tiurr firii, wlin h.id hfgan t!ir iVttl-irrt H,( it not iieen for the d.:Ti iiltK S i; ctMtri:, the r.renti, it is heli vrd tl r '! il,nr - of tour and lulf u s woi.ld Imv-hrc ti tV.t-ii up with as mail' m rr t th-'fe io.Iur.mu.s ;nl.I'lse iiiipKtvmMit ri th-Ssii'i irr ron. fid-. -thh , rosifierriR the Tnnr r:m i,fv b;f the 1-vv ImosIs nvp! ivcJ. in t'-m, an ! their rx;'-ti m r in th- ., t' prvin' I ' n ' i i this cmiotcy. i v :vrI'' "It H'') f f (if I.Jid 1.1 I,..'. ahtait H ol 'vhuh at" j! 'ifd in tii.'- . . How ! it ,r ; vhihfi r in t!i rv r O-jf rvrr, th hi.df.i n !t n I tr- It i'- ;:uul:ufl p'id.-'Ct rrr wit, -,.-.. ! tf.r Unit-'d t!e;. 'I ii'f srrahru: i ;r (J

at fs mtr .I.Mtd in i..-s .t ! ' Vrt brrtii" ; .'d tljy coii'Miiir jj! o! IT r r ," tv V- r. T!'" Cti i (f !i

1 J 10 his extended the q ur.ity of ,i0

gallons, the quality of which has been thot by judges 6t wine, fupenorto that ol the claret of Bordeaux. Out of the quantity, about 120 gallons was white pr ydiow wine, nude out of the Madeira grape-.

f Thrfe two kinds of wine aie the only ones

which have hitherto fueteedrd, but others are going to be tried, and it is very prouabb tlm fume of thrm will alio produce good wine. Wjien the vines are -.older, and the vine drefftrs are able to let their wn e acquire age before they fr 11 it, the q lify will certainly be greatly fuperior to what it is now ; and there is no doubt that in the Courfc of a number of years, the United States wdl be aole to do without lm ported wine. -The pre ious c ulture of the vine will be tried in different parts of the union, and will undoubtedly multiply with rapidity. The S?if- willxncourage it with all their power ; they give vine flips gra tis to whoever will plant them, with ditec-

tions and inlhuctions for their cultivatiofi.

The Swifs cultivate Indian corn, wheat, potatoes, hemp, flax, and other'artit les nectfTary to farmers although in fmall quantity. Some of their womerh make draw hats, which they fell in Cincinnati, andx on the river,' to trading bo?ts, which ufually Hop there to purchnfe them, to carry to the MiflilTippi country,, where they are very ready fale. 4 They are made quite different from other ftraw hats, by tying the draws together, inftead of plaiting and fewir.g the plaits. One of Mr. F.J. Dufours fillers brought the art to this country from Swit zerland. . As the 5wifs enlarge their vineyards every year more and pi ore, their fcttlement will b$ome of great conftquence to the Uriitrd States, not only in producing good and wliolifome wine, but alfo ih -bt iig a model for thofe wiio niov tfUbldh new vinevirus in other parts of this continent, which may he f. und fuitahle'for their culture. Kevo Switzerland his the ddvantjge of two roads one is a fork from the road leading from La wrenchburg to Port Wil li'Hin, taking off to the tight, about one mile and a half before arriving at Venogeor Indi m creek, and leads to Dufonr's fciry ; op;)rfitf is a road leading to Frankfort and L-xmjton, Mentueky. The other roul l-nls' from ti uppr end of JrfTerlon conn tv, down to MadMon, all along'the livrr. Tliere is a Poffc ouice by the nane of Ve nay. which is the n me of a town ititendrd to hr Ihortly hid off, for the accommodation ol MeclMnii 3. O.i account of the great number of crerks in the United Stat-s c-dl'd hy the name of Ind'nn, the Soil's who own it mouth, have tfrmht pnprr to alt-r its mm- to tht ot V-noe, a fmall river in thr piysde V.'H, on the bmks ot v ! : -r i

lome of the bwiis fpaken ot here wi ! railed. .

A HINDOO SUTTEE. 7 th.' t'dttor of the Asiatic Mirror. $IU 'fir bib-rous prcVice whu h tinJn;;lv u. evaiis :nrn the Hirdoo?. of ! I ni : .:-.r to hr humt -lie with th' i :ff'd!r rrrifd hll ill ', d , !r S brlcH" I ) - . i. t ? . .

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the tragical fcene, without heaving a figh forthetate of .the unh.ppy vidtim who, from the ah Curd pfrjudices of her religion, and a miftakni idea of piety, was about to he devoted to the fame Amies that were to reduce to aflici the retrains of .her deccafed hufbnd. ? 4 , , The age of the haplefs wottian whofe lot it was on the prifrnt ott alion to be thus ficrificed, 1 concluded from her appearance, not to exeed fi-urrir fiv.e and twe ty. Hfr hufb ud, I was informed, hid been a common peafmt. and going out I h it 1'huifday, to his ordinary occupation, had occafiar to go up a Cncoar.ut tree he had neatly reached its fummit, when a fudden gull of wind arifing, and the roots of the tree being "much decayed, unluckily fcJU and tjie poor man by "the fall, killed on the fpot The tidings of this melancholy event reaching liis wife, flie was incoi.iol .hle for fo great a lofs ; ana in a p ro.ifm of grief, embraced the dt fperatt-refolutiou of becoming a Suttee. So firmly bent was Ihe on the' execution of this purpofe that the confideration of leaving two helplels children, yet in a (late of Jmfaricyv and a third child, of which Ihe had jufi been delivered entirely delthute of parental care, was not incentive fuflicient to induce her to relip quifli fo raHi and imprudent a defign. Accordingly Ihe was yeftVrday conduced to the river fide, amuift a numerous concourfe of people, to meet her dreodtul doom. After the ufual pnrj s or peifoun aucc of religious-it rernooics of bathing in the Gunga, &c. the Suttee whs lead to the Ihrine with all the rotnpufure imaginable ; and having once or twite walked rounu the funeral pile, which was formed ol lagots bamboo c hips, and bruin wood of vmous defcriptions, Ihr placed heifrlf on the pi t form of the pile, hy thr fide of her litrhls liufb-nd, without the ilihielt trait of tun idity on her cuut.tm nt e or any otbr r indication ot dilm-iy at her im;.)---ndin f'te ; and what was p'ihdj.5 liill mote fu'prdin, without any appearance f rrmorfe or anguilh at the fight of h-i weeping oifapiii g, wnofe tears and heart rending light might well be fuppofrd to appeal with r rifi (tiblc pathos to a mother. liut her Sieart, tar from evincing any ddhud or feminine weak nes, difp) y d the utu oil tnaj; nnimity. Ye, but frw miiutes before; Ihe WrS en circled with the 1 mes I prrceivrd hri tounten nc hri. htf-ncd a iudle, as if Ihe hid tul! ah".r ifi;e that Hie v.-.-s prep-trio;; to Miter th- inf-ficns of eternal h-. ppinc fs. A7, p:nvr; ful tre thr notions of reh'on i a higotteti rnii'd 1 Even att-r th- tor h w..s ap;,urd, ,md Ihe ws furrrui drd with the raging H iiivj. not a gro-tn cculd he liercJ, t- ir thr tlj;i t-fl mntrii rnt p.-rreivrd. She .otii.n'd fi ni. fernfmg to brave- thr re. n rh I- f? ccnti-ivrtion. Rut f i . tT r ii g nature at l-.'th necnn- loo norct.t fjr her rrh.lutson liter hri'g --poiVd to the iflion ci th- fiitTi-s f-r two or three nmn?r fli- ir.-..de fe-ra! mnverr.crr.s, to 'vhich probhlr ihe h'd h--n fr reed by thr 'rtAciul njuiiii fh" I off-red, and thrfr n ivenirn's wer- f vx .,'n.t e-T"ti!s,-

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h-r xiiijlt htvr br-n a w.d-on.- ir IT-o :-r, p:it a p'tiad to hrr toiin-r,t aim. I m nirdn!--ly tl'.rr hffe ag.-i.iiirnr Ii ".',;!'- S-'!:i- I 'jr or five rrnrm'rs bok, v,h-p nuoi.u.J ticic Ui". c'mliEcd, the dicauful

penalty of fire, we find to have been a warded to ofli ndcis, as a pur ill lUent in expiation of heinous crimes. W t en v.e read thole pff.iges of hillmy, the niiiid is filled w'rh honor and dilult at the 3tcc.rable manners of our anceftors ; and we ae dif pofed to O.udder at the then c'eprau Hate of hunlan nature, hut how much more (hocking it is tq behold in thefr days of civilization, the prevalence -f the horrible practice of human immolation not for the puipofe of pur.ifliing offe nders or to deter otheis fron the commiflion of 'crimes, but . as a free will offering of the foul ai d bcrij on prt of the devotee, whofe cafe demands this facrifice ior the fupport of rehgiuui prirciples. s - 5 . It is in vain to hope that this deteOable rite of Hindoo religion wdl ever he extirpated ; for as the bigotry attached to the one, will always fandlify the other with the n'ame.rf piety and devotion, the precept, and the practice will be coeval with the rtligion. 1 am, fir, Your moft obedient fervant, A SUBSCRIBER. Calcutta, 5 th May, 1811. Another correfpondent, who was prefent at the- Suttee, rebtes tint he was particu larly rtfiVcrd by two incidents that occurred ounug the preparatory cere-monies.- ' A child bet wren two and three years of, age, ihe daughter of the devotee, was brought to the fpot of immolation, in the arms of a fe m a lr relation. On obfrrvirg its mother, furrourded by the crowd, and alarmed at the number of Urantfers, hut quite uuconl4 ious of what w.s pafiing, the child anxu-Lfly labored to fpring horn the aims of its mirfe, in order to get to its mother: n.oved by th- flrrgth of natural t tling, its eses eamrfily fixed on its mother, it fought by Jtears, by enneaties, -nd ltru6gle$, to regain the veil kr.cwn bofYm, where miternal tenorrnrfs had fo often toothed it to repofe The unavailing flruggles, the piteous moaning of thr iniart rri the one huui, r.d on the other the dying mother, hedlrfs to its tender calls, pefented a fprctacle cdcuUtcd to roufe to fympatl y a heart of adni-nt. Be tore entering upon the lafi part of the cer.-tneny , t'.iat ot w alking round the pile, the futtce. advanced to hei f 1 1 er, who ftood in the inner c ircle ot the crowd ; and twice or thrii ::r uaffmg. 1 er h.aiid trom his torehead to his bieall, thus g-ve l im her blefling, m tnms. w nu h, tin n h inaudible, yet linote tipn'.i thr hrait with i. 'Xp" filon to which no Ungu'agr ran t,ivr iittrra.i:ce The father, yielding to t: ittne tuxtl jult -ff clioiii oitterly wept, on this L(l if rvirw with a brlovd d.u; htrr, while the heioir.r, r-if-ed above th.e h.linrs of humanity , f-rn.ed as it lh: -Ire.'y h, n ! j;tcJ to anoth r word I Our readers m y Icn fnine inra f the f-e'ina of ti e p o t in I prt r f thr' native. I 'dtots ct thi- . if cmt rNhibiiion, on ' rirg irformr-d nf an angry dif ulTion, juft . hrhwe ! the pdr, l)ftvrMI the hrhmi: i ii th- wnrk?nrn. v-l ol ad i,r,v led'' 'lr h-r wood ot -i m !i it was t rrr.pf d, the i.t'fi CiMtroded ll .aX they h,d h-il-t 20 m-U'K of wood, vhd- the I'rJ.iinin infifU d that tlirrr w re rot norr ih.n ten. Afrr a trntu drJ ft r.hK tirn. a romper m li- ff Ctrd, Vi,d the CJvMOtilV W-Hfivd t I 1 m-uMi. 'I j.r k'ffi'li tirt of the woo!t h .Vfvr, v.i3 f P"fn ar.d XVX that t's ct n,hnitin:i wii real'y 'nrpded, ard th- f,.tf iiwjs of the :;!.-p;- itti;u ccf5 rutnily urubncd.

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