RorH] DEATH AND MOURNING 651 
and bury the ashes” (SR, u, 388). On the River Uaupes, the 
Tariana, also of Arawak stock, . . . about a month after the funeral 
disinter the corpse, which is much decomposed, and put it in a great 
pan or oven over the fire until all the volatile parts are driven off, 
with a most horrible odor, leaving only a black carbonaceous mass, 
which is pounded into a fine powder and mixed in several large 
couchés (vats made of hollowed trees) of caxiri. This is drunk by 
the assembled company until all is finished . . . (ARW, 346). 
$49. Warrau.—tThe procedure adopted seems to have varied. On 
the Orinoco, in Gumilla’s time, as soon as an Indian died he was tied 
up with a strong rope, sunk in the river, and the end of the rope 
fixed to the trunk of a tree. By the following day certain fish 
(guacarito) would have cleaned off all the flesh, vessels, membranes, 
and gristle. The skeleton was then taken out and the bones packed 
according to size in a basket already provided, worked with glass 
beads of various colors. Care was taken that the skull of the de- 
ceased came to be the lid of the basket. The basket was then hung 
up to the roof of their houses along with the many other baskets 
containing the bones of their forefathers (G, 1, 199). This method 
of removing the flesh was also practiced in Surinam, as noted by 
Stedman. Some tribes of Indians having put their deceased friends 
in the above posture, place them naked for a few days under water, 
where the bones being picked clean by the piree [| pirai| and other 
fish, the skeleton is dried in the sun and hung up to the ceiling of 
their houses or wigwams; and this is done as the strongest instance 
of their great regard for their departed friend (St, 1, 400). On the 
Orinoco, in Crévaux’s day, no mention is made of the preservation 
of the bones on the above lines. On the other hand, some interesting 
notes from Macareo Canal, at the mouth of the mighty stream, have 
been left us by this traveler. Upon the death of a woman the hus- 
band lies down in front of her. He remains there a few minutes, 
weeping and singing, and then makes way for each and all who have 
ever had connection with the deceased, a ceremony during the 
course of which extraordinary processions of the most unlikely 
persons have been witnessed. 
Crévaux admits the unusual form of sepulture of an old woman 
buried in her hammock in a 1-meter deep grave dug by four young 
women. In the case of a young boy 12 years of age, two men scooped 
out a tree in the form of a coffin. The body, enveloped in its ham- 
mock, having been placed inside the “ box,” was covered with laths 
placed lengthwise, the interstices being all closed with muddy clay 
by the women. The “coffin” was finally placed on two forked 
boughs stuck into the ground in the neighborhood of the hut. An 
abandoned habitation in front of the village served as a sort of cem- 
