formerly prattifed in Scotland, 342 
branches of trees, or fhrubs of various kinds; the 
trunks of trees, if any exifted, being retained for 
more urgent occafions: ‘The body muft have 
been laid on a pile of brufh-wood; and, when- 
ever the fire began to confume, it would, from 
the weight and moifture it contained, and for want 
~ of fupport for a fufficient length of time, fall to the | 
bottom; and notwithftanding all the {mall wood that 
could be heaped on above it, would by no means be 
properly confumed, but only broiled. They mult 
then have found the neceflity of giving the body 
fuch fupport as was fufficient to keep it for a confi- 
derable length of time in the focus, or point of 
ftrongeft action of the fire and flame. When they 
endeavoured to effe& this by means of beams of 
wood, placed horizontally or perpendicularly, thefe 
would be fpeedily fo far confumed as to permit the 
body in like manner to fall down, and be too low 
for the complete action of the fire; they muit, there- 
fore, at length have been reduced to the abfolute 
neceflity of having recourfe to inftruments of iron, 
or fone other metal. q 
And, with refpe& to the opinion, that either 
peats, turf, or pit-coal, were ever ufed in. this 
ceremony, [think we have fufficient reafon to reject 
it; for all accounts of burning the dead, that are 
tranfmitted to us, agree in this, that nothing 
but wood was ufed on the occafion; and 
being at firft folely appropriated to that. purpofe, 
no 
