86 DEL AGO A BAY. 



decay, making the kraals look very ruined and 

 dismal. Any new capalanes deceased may 

 have left are taken care of, but near relatives 

 never wear them ; sometimes they are sold, or 

 perhaps given to young members of the family 

 some time after. When the funeral is over the 

 relatives put on the blue mourning cloth, ex- 

 change their brass rings for iron ones, their 

 coloured beads for black, and shave their heads. 

 Mourning is also sent to far-off relatives who 

 have been unable to attend the ceremony. The 

 day after the funeral all the women go in 

 procession to the springs to wash themselves, 

 and when they return to the kraal all begin 

 feasting, smoking, drinking, and even dancing, 

 leaving off at intervals to resume the "crying." 

 Guns are also fired off at intervals, each shot 

 being followed by a fresh burst of wailing from 

 the women. This alternate feasting and sorrow- 

 ing goes on sometimes for three or four days, 

 the duration being regulated by the wealth of 

 the family. They then apparently dismiss the 

 subject from their minds altogether. 



