YARROW. } BURIAL GAMES—‘‘GHOST GAMBLE.” 195 
Mr. John Campbell, of Montreal, Canada, has kindly called the at- 
tention of the writer to death songs very similar in character; for in- 
stance, the Basques of Spain ululate thus: 
Lelo il Lelo, Lelo dead Lelo, 
Lelo il Lelo, 
Lelo zarat, Lelo zara, 
Il Lelon killed Lelo. 
This was called the ‘ ululating Lelo”” Mr. Campbell says : 
This again connects with the Linus or Ailinus of the Greeks and Egyptians * * * 
which Wilkinson connects with the Coptic ‘‘ ya lay-lee-ya lail.” The Alleluia which 
Lescarbot heard the South Americans sing must have been the same wail. The Greek 
verb dAoAvfo and the Latin ululare, with an English howl and wail, are probably 
derived from this ancient form of lamentation. 
In our own time a writer on the manner and customs of the Creeks de- 
scribes a peculiar alleluia or hallelujah he heard, trom which he inferred 
that the American Indians must be the descendants of the lost tribes of 
Israel. 
GAMES. 
It is not proposed to describe under this heading examples of those 
athletic and gymnastic performances following the death of a person 
which have been described by Lafitau, but simply to call attention to a 
practice as a secondary or adjunct part of the funeral rites, which con- 
sists in gambling for the possession of the property of the defunct. Dr. 
Charles E. McChesney, U. 8. A., who for some time was stationed 
among the Wahpeton and Sisseton Sioux, furnishes a detailed and in- 
teresting account of what is called the “‘ ghost gamble.” This is played 
with marked wild-plum stones. So far as ascertained it is peculiar to 
the Sioux. Figure 33 appears as a fair illustration of the manner in 
which this game is played. 
After the death of a wealthy Indian the near relatives take charge of the effects, 
and at a stated time—usually at the time of the first feast held over the bundle con- 
taining the lock of hair—they are divided into many small piles, so as to give all the 
Indians invited to play an opportunity to win something. One Indian is selected to 
represent the ghost, and he plays against all the others, who are not required to stake 
anything on the result, but simply invited to take part in the ceremony, which is 
usually held in the lodge of the dead person, in which is contained the bundle inclos- 
ing the lock of hair. In cases where the ghost himself is not wealthy the stakes are 
furnished by his rich friends, should he have any. The players are called in one at a 
time, and play singly against the ghost’s representative, the gambling being done in 
recent years by means of cards. If the invited player succeeds in beating the ghost, 
he takes one of the piles of goods and passes out, when another is invited to play, &c., 
until all the piles of goods are won. In cases of men only the men play, and in cases 
of women the women only take part in the ceremony. 
