SAMOA. 641 



lionise to tlip oravf . The rpasoii as^sio-nerl for tliis custom was 

 to keep away evil spirits. 



Graves were enclosed with neat piles of stones, and often 

 covered with fragments of coral and shells. Of chiefs and 

 other distinguished men, the grave was surmounted by a 

 mound ot stones, having the appearance of a vault. The 

 resting places of the dead were held sacred and generally 

 respected ; though, in some native wars, graves have been 

 desecrated, and at times "the liones scattered at the grave's 

 mouth," or burned. In their heathen days the weapons of 

 war, agricultural implements, and whatever the deceased used 

 were buried with him, sometimes valuable property also. A 

 warrior's grave would be distinguished by having his weapons 

 jdaced alongside the tomb. 



Embalming of chiefs was practised m olden times. The 

 emlialmers were always women of certain families, holding 

 sacredly the function. The operation occupied considerable 

 time. The inner organs and viscera were first removed and 

 buried. The body was then punctured all over with needle- 

 like instruments that the Juices might be withdrawn, and 

 scented oils and unguents were re])eatedly rubbed into the 

 body. Finally, wads of native cloth, saturated with oil or 

 resinous gums, were placed inside the body, the aj)ertures 

 closed up, and the body wrapped in native cloth, leaving the 

 face, hands, and feet exposed. These are repeatedly re- 

 anointed, with the addition of tumeric jiowder to the unguents, 

 to give a fresh and life-like appearance to the mummy. It 

 was the function of near relatives to attend to this last 

 operation. The mummy was kept in a house specially set 

 apart for the purpose, and rested on a raised platform, and 

 covered with native cloth. 



A singular custom existed with regard to the dead whose 

 bodies had not been recovered for burial, such as were lost at 

 sea or slain in battle. A superstitious dread was connected 

 with respect to the disquieted spirits of such unfortunates. It 

 was supposed that, being unburied by the family, the spirit of 

 such wandered about wretched and forlorn, and would haunt 

 the relatives in their sleeji, crying " I am cold ! I am cold ! " 

 To appease the spirit, the relatives would go out to the sea- 

 shore, 01- to the battle-field on which their friend was slain, 

 and spread a cloth or fine mat, and sit watching for some 

 reptile or insect, or other creature to crawl on to the mat or 

 cloth, and then they quickly enclosed whatever first came on 

 the article, carried it oft', and buried it with some of the 

 vjsual funeral rites, imagining that the spirit bad appeared iu 



