SOURCE OF ST. PETER's RIVER. 115 



nies at the time of the removal of the corpse ; but the man- 

 ner in which this duty is performed deserves mention. 

 The greatest pains are taken that all should be transacted 

 in the most decorous manner ; the spot selected is always 

 as dry as the circumstances of the place will admit of. The 

 body of the deceased is clothed in his best garments, and, 

 if the relations can afford it, new clothes are obtained 

 for this purpose. His moccassins, rifle, knife, money, 

 silver ornaments, in fine, the whole of his property are 

 placed near him : the corpse is laid with its face turned to 

 the east. A small quantity of food is placed near the head. 

 The funeral is generally attended by all the relations, who 

 express their grief by Aveeping ; but yells, dances, &c. are 

 not customary on such occasions. The deceased is buried 

 in an erect, seated, or inclined posture, according to the 

 wishes and directions which he may have given previously 

 to his death, for these are always most implicitly obeyed. 

 The graves in which they are buried are generally from 

 four to five feet in depth. If the deceased had previously 

 to his death expressed a wish to be deposited in a tree, this 

 is attended to ; otherwise the corpse is always interred. 

 When the corpse is to be deposited in a tree, it is first sowed 

 up in a blanket, and this is suspended to the branches. 

 The friends of the deceased visit it frequently, until they 

 observe that the body is decaying ; they then shake hands 

 with it, and bid it a last farewell ; but even after this they 

 return yearly to visit the spot where it is deposited, and 

 they uniformly leave some food near it. At the time of 

 the funeral, they frequently light a fire near the head of 

 the grave, and upon this they prepare their feast, throw- 

 ing a part of the food on the grave for the use of their 

 friend. If they have whiskey, they likewise scatter some 

 @n the ground, but of this they are sparing, doubtless from 



