220 PAST AND PRESENT. 



sprigs of fir, or other evergreens, are also invariably 

 placed by the small stone which marks the resting- 

 place of their friends. The rice and water is for the 

 spirit of the departed when it returns to the earth, 

 which it is supposed frequently to do : the flowers are 

 to give it pleasure, and to show it is still remembered 

 by those left behind. 



The Buddhist funerals are conducted in a very 

 simple manner. A square box of white pine wood 

 contains the remains to be deposited in the earth. A 

 few women and girls, dressed in yellow, or having some 

 portion of their dress in that colour, attend. It is 

 carried to the Buddhist temple, and placed in a small 

 building outside, where a priest goes through a set form 

 of prayer over it, which lasts ten minutes, after which 

 it is carried to the grave, and dropped into it, covered 

 over, a bamboo stuck on the top, and home all the 

 party goes. I have never seen tears shed at a funeral. 

 In fact, such marks of feeling are very rare under any 

 circumstances. Women during the night often sing a 

 certain song, particularly on the water, after the death 

 of a relative. It has a queer, wild, plaintive effect. 



The feast of lanterns, one of the Buddhist time- 

 honoured customs, takes place in August, at the full 

 moon. The graves of all their relatives are lighted by 



