THE DISCOVERY OF BURLINGTON BAY. 55 



also wrapped carefully in furs — were now carried to one of the largest 

 cabins, and hung to the numerous cross poles, which like rafters, sup- 

 port the roof. 



" Here the concourse of mourners seated themselves at a funeral 

 feast, and as the squaws distributed food, a chief harangued the as- 

 sembly, lamenting the loss of the deceased, and extolling their 

 virtues. This solemnity over, the mourners began their march for 

 Ossossane, uttering at intervals in unison a dreary wailing cry ; and 

 as they stopped to rest at night at some village on the way, the in- 

 habitants came forth to meet them with a mournful hospitality. 

 From every town processions like these were converging toward 

 Ossossane, and thither, on the urgent invitation of the chiefs, we 

 repaired. The capacious bark houses were filled to overflowing, and 

 the surrounding woods gleamed with camp fires. Funeral games 

 were in progress, the young men and women practicing archery, and 

 other exercises for prizes offered by the mourners in the name of 

 their dead relatives. Some of the chiefs conducted us to the place 

 prepared for the ceremony — a cleared area in the forest many acres 

 in extent. In the midst was a pit about 10 feet deep and 30 wide. 

 Around it was reared a high and strong scaffolding, and on this were 

 placed several upright poles, with cross poles extended between, for 

 hanging the funeral gifts and the remains of the dead. 



" We were lodged in a large bark house where more than a hun- 

 dred of these bundles of mortality were hanging from the rafters. 

 Amidst the throng of the living and the dead we spent a night which 

 the imagination and the senses conspired to render almost insupport- 

 able. At length the officiating chiefs gave the signal to prepare for 

 the ceremony. The relics were taken down, opened for the last 

 time, and the bones caressed and fondled by the women amid parox- 

 ysms of lamentations. Then all the processions were formed anew, 

 and, each bearing its dead, moved towards the area prepared for the last 

 solemn rites. As they reached the ground they defiled in order, 

 each to a spot assigned to it. Here the bearers of the dead laid 

 their bundles on the ground. Fires were now lighted, kettles slung, 

 and around the entire circle of the clearing the scene was like a fair 

 or caravansary. This continued till three in the afternoon, when 

 the gifts and bones were re-packed. Suddenly at a signal from 

 the chiefs, the crowd ran forward from every side towards the scaffold 



