32 FUNERAL CEREMONIES. 



was not written down at the time. When the head 

 of a family dies at Muralug-, the body is laid out upon 

 a frame work of sticks raised a foot from the ground, 

 and is there allowed to rot. A small hut is raised 

 close by, and the nearest relative of the deceased lives 

 there, supplied with food by his friends, until the head 

 of the corpse becomes nearly detached by the process 

 of putrefaction, when it is removed and handed over 

 to the custody of the eldest wife. She carries it about 

 with her in a bag during- her widowhood, accompa- 

 nying the party of the tribe to which she belongs 

 from place to place. The body, or rather the head- 

 less skeleton, is then interred in a shallow grave 

 over which a mound is raised ornamented by wooden 

 posts at the corners painted red, with sometimes 

 shells, and other decorations attached to them, pre- 

 cisely such a one as that figured in the Voyage of 

 the Fly, vol. i. p. 149. On the occasion of our 

 visiting the grave in question (at Port Lihou, on 

 Muralug), Gi'om told me that we were closely 

 watched by a party of natives who were greatly 

 pleased that we did not attempt to deface the tomb ; 

 had we done so — and the temptation was great to 

 some of VIS, for several fine nautilus shells were 

 hanging up, and some good dugong skulls were 

 lying upon the top — one or more of the party would 

 probably have been speared. 



