A FUNERAL PROCESSION. 317 



dents, and are freely admitted to all the privileges 

 and immunities possessed by the latter. 



In speaking of the Malabars, I omitted to describe 

 a funeral procession in which they were the par- 

 ticipants. The corpse was borne in a coffin, on a 

 hurdle, supported on the shoulders of six men. Pre- 

 ceding the coffin was a musician with a horn in the 

 shape of the letter S, from which the operator pro- 

 duced more noise than music ; next came two drum- 

 mers with their instruments, and then two tambourine 

 players — all uniting in making as much din as pos- 

 sible. Those in the procession not engaged in 

 discoursing the melody, w^erc dancing and shouting. 

 This manner of testifying grief seemed rather odd, 

 and diametrically opposite to all my preconceived 

 notions of these people, as I had judged them to be 

 incapable of any joyous demonstration; but it seems 

 they can act a farce, although they choose a rather 

 sombre occasion to indulge it. I have not, however, 

 done with the funeral, not having as yet mentioned its 

 most peculiar feature. Over the coffin was erected 

 a bower of twigs and green plants, intended to 

 represent, as nearly as possible, a temple. I followed 

 the procession to the cemetery, which is an unenclosed 

 piece of ground, situated just outside the European 

 cemetery, and unmarked by a single headstone. 

 Just previous to arriving at the cemetery, the police- 

 men, who accompany all such funerals, obliged them 

 to desist from their merry-making. At the grave, 

 which was not more than four feet in depth, the 

 bower was opened, and a young chicken taken from 

 it, which a near relative placed in his bosom very care- 

 fully. This form, I suppose, has something to do 

 27* 



