1866.] Karen feasts for the Dead. 29 
to prevent the spirit of the living from staying behind with the spirit 
of the dead. 
After the funeral, the grave-digger washes his clothes, or the neg- 
lect to do so renders him unfortunate, Married children may dig the 
grave for a parent, but young ones are prohibited. ‘They must hire 
some one to do the work, and give him five rupees. 
Feast ror THE Dean. 
Like the Chinese, the Bghais make annual feasts for the dead, for 
three years after.a person’s death. The feast is made at the new 
moon near the close of August, or the beginning of September; and 
all the villagers that have lost relatives, partake in it. 
Before the new moon, they prepare food, plantains, sugar-cane, 
tobacco, betel nuts, betel leaves, and other articles of consumption. A 
bamboo is laid across one angle of the roof of the room, and on it are 
hung wp new tunics, new turbans, new petticoats, beads and bangles ; 
and at the appropriate time, when the spirits of the dead are supposed 
to be present, having returned to visit them, they say: ‘“ You have 
come to me, you have returned to me. It has been raining hard, and 
you must be wet. Dress yourselves, clothe yourselves with these new 
garments and all the companions that are with you. Eat betel 
together with all that accompany you, all your friends and associates, 
and the long dead. Call them all to eat and drink.” 
After dark, all the people eat bread nzade of boiled rice beaten in a 
mortar. The bread is spread down, and the people are invited: “‘ All 
who are hungry, eat bread here.” 
Next morning, the first day of the moon, which is deemed the 
proper feast day, the previous last day of the month being regarded as 
the day of preparation, all who have Kyee-zees hang them up, and 
beat them. Then they kill a hog, and make thirty bottles of bamboos. 
Into one bottle, they put honey, into another water, in a third whis- 
key, in a fourth salt, in a fifth oil, in a sixth chillies, and into the 
seventh tumeric. The other twenty-three are laid aside. Loopholes 
are made to each bottle through which a string dyed yellow is tied. 
After setting apart the seven bottles that have been filled, the re- 
maining twenty-three are filled with food indiscriminatively. Some 
with pork, some with boiled rice, some with bread, some with whis- 
key, and some with betel. When these are filled, rice bread is rolled 
