503 



[Gabb. 



The final disposal of the remains is a matter of great care. The whole 

 of the tribe goes to the district of Bri-bri for this purpose. The recepta- 

 cle is a square pit, about four feet deep and ten feet square. This is 

 paved on the bottom with stones, and is roofed over from the weather, 

 by a series of heavy hewn slabs of a very durable wood, open on the front 

 and ends, and sloping to the ground at the back. Each family possesses 

 one of these pits and here, after the funeral feast, the bundle of bones is 

 carried and deposited. After the rest, the remains of Santiago were 

 carried to the "royal" pit and deposited without further ceremony. 



The Cabecars, according to Mr. Lyon, have about the same ceremony, 

 but their pits are mere holes, not paved, and covered by planks laid on 

 the ground level. 



The Tiribis have a death feast, but it differs in some respects from the 

 others. The body is buried immediately after death, but no longer with 

 the property of the deceased, and, of course, the defunct is not present afc 

 his final feast, as with the Bri-bris. 



Mr. Lyon, to whom I owe much of the infoimation in the present 

 memoir, has described to me one circumstance, in connec ion with these 

 death feasts, that I have not witnessed. The warriors among the Bri- 

 bris, who fought in the war with the Tiribis were honored with a little 

 different ceremonial. They are now all gone, and the ceremony is ex- 

 tinct. At the death feast, a person entered, clad in a long gown, wig, 

 and mask. The gown and wig were made of mastate, or bark cloth, 

 covered with " old man's beard " moss, sewed all over it, making a shaggy 

 and nearly shapeless mass . The mask was made of half a ' ' tree calabash, ' ' 

 j)roperly fixed up with a wax nose, &c. A copy of this entire dress was 

 made for me by an old Indian, and is now in the Smithsonian museum. 

 The person thus accoutred, took part in the dance, made free with the 

 women and scared the children without let or hindrance. Mothers with 

 young children took them to him and placed thein for a moment on his 

 shoulder, "to prevent the evil spirit from doing them harm." Neither 

 Lyon nor the Indians could give me a very clear account of what spirit, 

 whether good or evil, this represented. But the people seemed to regard 

 him as rather of the malevolent sort ; to be classed under the general 

 head of " J5« " or Devil. Doubtless this, at one time had a distinct mean- 

 ing, now lost. 



No strictly religious belief can be said to exist among these Indians, in 

 the sense that it is usually understood among us. They have, however, 

 a series of ideas or beliefs which affect their daily lives and are never lost 

 sight of. In connection with the funeral feast, described above, I have 

 referred to their idea of a future state. 



During the year that the body lies in the woods, the disembodied spirit 

 prowls around, living on wild fruits, of which the wild cacao is the only 

 one of which I know the name, although others weie also pointed out to 

 me. At the end of that time, when the funeral fire is kindled, the spirit 

 is thus attracted to the feast, whence it departs on i!;^ final journey. 



