Xoinil (M iniNSLAXl) KTIINO(;l!APIIV WoTII. 391 



those wild had fullowi'd it to its pivseiit resting phice com- 

 mence collecting iii-ewood, tlie men gathei-ing big pieces of 

 timber, and the women little ones : the larger sticks are placed 

 on the spot where ultimately recpiired for the cremation (tig. 59y) 

 while the smaller ones are gathered together in a heap about 

 twenty yards distant (tig. b9\). The women now ta'ie themselves 

 to the left hand side of the corpse and squat side by side all in 

 one straight row (fig. 59w); their business is to cry, U) strike their 

 forks"'* and assist in the singing. The men collect together close 

 to the lieap of bigger faggots, between it and the dead body 

 (fig. 59a), and advance in indian file behind the same old gentleman 

 who carried tlie corpse to its present resting place, and who now 

 marches at the head of the procession ; it is he who leads the song 

 in which the others join, but he alone keeps the time with the 

 sounding-sticks '', stamping his foot at each beat as lie slowly comes 

 forward, the others following and keeping exact step with him. 

 The song which is sung over and over again all the way, and while 

 the sticks are sounded is — "Yakai ! ngaja winjiri winje ngenuna 

 chaimban, kuna pundili warre-marigo."""' The route taken is to- 

 wards and around the pile of smaller sticks, and as each 

 individual passes it he picks up a twig with his left foot, 

 and hopping on his right, to the beating of the time 

 gets back to whence he' started, the circuit enclosing the two 

 heaps of faggots being completed : etich now takes the twig from 

 his left foot with his hand, and places it on top of the pile of big- 

 timber. Collecting again at the same spot, another start is made, 

 the same performance gone through, and circuit after circuit com- 

 pleted until tlie whole heap of smaller sticks is removed by foot. 

 T was informed that if the men wei'e to touch with their hands 

 any of the small bits of wood, before arriving at where the big 

 faggots are heai)ed, they would get sores on their hands, and 

 what is more important, the timber would not burn properly 

 when lighted. The second heap having been thus cleared away, 

 the old corpse V)earer accompanied by the men walks close up to 

 the dead body, upon which they next all turn their backs and 

 retire to a spot about thirty feet distant. They all now re- 

 approach the body simultaneously in rows of twos or threes, one 

 solitaiy gin, not necessarily a relative, bringing up the rear, and 

 all of them singing and repeating the song already mentioned. 



■■' Bull. 4— Sect. 2'.){e}. 

 ■"•"• Bull. 4— Sect. 29 (/). 



■■"■ AiY.- " Aliis! I wonder wlicrc he {i.<'. Koi, Hull..") Sect, (i.j) uiet you! 

 We will take \our iiuts out and see." 



