BURIAL. 361 



Sometimes the aged people make up their minds that it is 

 time to die ; sometimes it is the children who give notice to 

 their parents that they are a burden to them. In either 

 case, the friends and relatives are summoned, a consultation 

 takes place, and a day is fixed for the ceremony, which com- 

 mences with a great feast. The missionaries have often 

 witnessed these horrible tragedies. On one occasion a young 

 man invited Mr. Hunt to attend his mother's funeral, which 

 was just going to take place. Mr. Hunt accepted the invita- 

 tion, but when the funeral procession started, he was sur- 

 prised to see no corpse, and accordingly made enquiries, when 

 the young savage " pointed out his mother,* who was walking 

 along with them, as gay and lively as any of them present, 

 and apparently as much pleased. . . . He added that it 

 was from love for his mother that he had done so ; that in 

 consequence of the same love, they were now going to bury 

 her, and that none but themselves could or ought to do so 



sacred an office she was their mother, and they 



were her children, and they ought to put her to death." In 

 such cases the grave is dug about four feet deep, the relatives 

 and friends begin their lamentations, take an affectionate 

 parting, and bury the poor victim alive. It is surprising 

 after this to hear that Mr. Hunt regarded the Feegeeans 

 as being kind and affectionate to their parents, but in fact 

 " they considered this custom so great a proof of affection, 

 that none but children could be found to perform it." 

 The fact is that they not only believe in a future state, 

 but are persuaded that as they leave this life so they will 

 rise again.f They have, therefore, a powerful motive for 

 quitting this world before they are weakened by old age ; 

 and so general was this belief, so powerful the influence 

 which it had upon them, that in one town containing several 

 hundred inhabitants, Capt. Wilkes did not see one man over 



* Wilkes, I.e. p. 95. f Figi and the Figians, vol. i., p. 183. 



