BUSHNBLL] NATIVE CEMETERIES AND FORMS OF BURIAL 95 



respective corpse, and the multitude following after them, all as 

 one family, with united voice of alternate Allelujah and lamenta- 

 tion, slowly proceed to the place of general interment, where they 

 place the coffins in order, forming a pyramid; and lastly, cover all 

 over with earth, which raises a conical hill or mount. Then they 

 return to town in order of solemn procession, concluding the day 

 with a festival, which is called the feast of the dead." (Bartram, 

 (1), pp. 514-515.) 



The several writers who left records of the Choctaw ceremonies 

 varied somewhat in their accounts of the treatment of the dead, but 

 differed only in details, not in any main questions. And to quote 

 from Capt. Romans: "As soon as the deceased is departed, a stage 

 is erected (as in the annexed plate is represented) [pi. 12], and the 

 corpse is laid on it and covered with a bear skin ; if he be a man of 

 note, it is decorated, and the poles painted red with vermillion and 

 bears oil ; if a child, it is put upon stakes set across ; at this stage the 

 relations come and weep, asking many questions of the corpse, such 

 as, why he left them? did not his wife serve him well? was he not 

 contented with his children? had he not corn enough? did not his 

 land j)roduce sufficient of everything? was he afraid of his enemies? 

 &c. and this accompanied by loud bowlings; the women will be there 

 constantly and sometimes with the corrupted air and heat of the sun 

 faint so as to oblige the by standers to carry them home; the men 

 also come and mourn in the same manner, but in the night or at other 

 unseasinable times, when they are least likely to be discovered. The 

 stage is fenced round with poles, it remains thus a certain time but 

 not a fixed space, this is sometimes extended to three or four months, 

 but seldom more than half that time. A certain set of venerable old 

 Gentlemen who wear very long nails as a distinguishing badge on the 

 thumb, fore and middle finger of each hand, constantly travel through 

 the nation (when I was there I was told there were but five of this 

 respectable order) that one of them may acquaint those concerned, 

 of the expiration of this period, which is according to their own 

 fancy; the day being come, the friends and relations assemble near 

 the stage, a fire is made, and the respectable operator, after the body 

 is taken down, with his nails tears the remaining flesh off the bones, 

 and throws it with the intrails into the fire, where it is consumed; 

 then he scrapes the bones and burns the scrapings likewise; the head 

 being painted red with vermillion is with the rest of the bones put 

 into a neatly made chest (which for a Chief is also made red) and 

 deposited in the loft of a hut built for that purpose, and called bone 

 house ; each town has one of these ; after remaining here one year or 

 thereabouts, if he be a man of any note, they take the chest down, and 

 in an assembly of relations and friends they weep once more over 

 him, refresh the colour of the head, paint the box red, and then de- 

 posit him to lasting oblivion." (Romans, (1), pp. 89-90.) 



