BUSHNBLL] NATIVE CEMETERIES AND FORMS OF BURIAL 109 



"The body of a dead person was kept for one day and then in- 

 terred, many persons making speeches on the occasion. The corpse 

 was laid with its head toward the east, which the Tunica chief told 

 the writer was simply 'their way of burying,' the reason having 

 evidently been forgotten. For four successive nights thereafter a 

 fire was lighted at the head, as Gatschet's informant explained, to 

 keep away the bad spirits who sat in that direction for the same 

 period. During that time the people watched the grave and fasted, 

 and on the morning of the day after the fourth, just before day- 

 break, all, both old and young, went to plunge four times in water. 

 By that time the soul was satisfied and had ' gone up.' Then all re- 

 assembled in the house from which the burial had taken place and 

 breakfasted together, eating white dumplings and the fresh meat of 

 large geese. Then the principal speaker delivered an address, after 

 which he made all put on mourning, he himself and the other near 

 relations wearing it for six months and the father and mother of the 

 deceased for one year. A mourning garb is thought not to have 

 been known before the people 'learned how to pray;' i. e. before 

 Christianity was introduced, which seems probable. During their 

 days of mourning people did not eat or drink until noon. 



" Cemeteries were placed on hills in the open country, and because 

 spirits were believed to dwell around them the protection of each 

 cemetery was intrusted to one man. Each new year the guardian 

 said to all those who had ripe corn : ' Ripe corn must be thrown on 

 the cemetery ! Eipe beans must be thrown on the cemetery ! ' Then 

 all went to work to collect their corn and beans and place them 

 there. This took three or sometimes four days, and at the same 

 time, evidently in later years, they cut the cemetery grass. These 

 last statements are according to Gatschet's informant. The Tunica 

 chief only stated that a second fast, called the ' corn fast ' {fete du 

 hie), took place for the benefit of the dead at the time when little 

 corn had ju-st become good to eat. The ears were roasted close to 

 the fire and then placed in a saucer at the head of the grave. Before 

 this time a 'sign,' which in later tiines was probably a cross, had 

 been made by a particular person who always performed this office 

 and placed at the grave. The oilering of corn was also made for 

 four days. On the last of these the people fasted until noon and 

 assembled at the house of the cemetery guardian. Then they 

 plunged into water four times, also for the dead, and after a speech 

 from the guardian, he gave them all a dinner by way of payment. 

 In later times this ended the fast, but anciently the dinner was 

 followed by a dance." (Swanton, (1), pp. 324—326.) 



Other Muskhogean tribes may now be mentioned. 



