Liberia <4' 



woman or the chief in his place does not agree to the payment 

 demanded, the woman's parents are apparently allowed by 

 custom to slay all the domestic animals of the town in which 

 their daughter died, and they even go further — pillaging rice and 

 other food-stuffs or stored-up property, finally burning down 

 the town. In this district it is stated by Mr. Gow that the 

 townsfolk keep up a continual howl for forty-eight hours after 

 the death of any person of mature age (not a slave) occurring in 

 their midst, while the near relatives of the deceased are supposed 

 to howl and lament almost without intermission for a fortnight. 

 In this country it is generally the custom to give presents to the 

 relatives of the deceased so that they may be supplied with the 

 means for holding a good " wake." 



Amongst the Vai, a widower must, after the death of his 

 wife, redeem his children by sending a present in goods. 

 Otherwise they will leave their father and go to the mother's 

 family. If, however, the present is sent, the father-in-law sends 

 another daughter (if he have one) to be wife and step-mother in 

 the dead woman's place. 



The corpse of a deceased person is kept more or less 

 exposed to view from one to five days, according to the rapidity 

 with which putrefaction sets in. When the relatives are ready 

 to proceed to the burial, the corpse is sewn up in a mat, and 

 after being laid within the grave a varying quantity of cloth, 

 according to the wealth of the deceased, is piled on top of the 

 body. Usually they bury with the dead person all the cloth 

 found in his possession at the time of his death, and much else 

 of the trade goods that were his property. 



Amongst the Vai and Gora peoples the gravis of all but 

 slaves are very often dug in clusters near the entrances or exits 

 of the villages. A chief here and in all parts of the country 

 may sometimes be buried temporarily in his own hut. Or there 



1058 



