190 FUNERAL CEREMONIES • 



were fastened to the axle-tree of the carnage, two each way ; these were 

 held by the people, who every now and then uttered a loud shout and 

 pulled both ways at the same time. That day neither party gained any 

 advantage over the other, till near evening, when one of the* cables broke 

 and the opposite party gained the victory. 



The following day they discharged the large rockets. Early in the 

 morning they carried all the figures and their rockets from the town, and 

 each of these figures was fixed upon a carriage of four wheels, and the 

 rockets were secured, by rattan loops, to strong ropes, which passed be- 

 tween the feet of the animal, so that when discharged, they, sliding on the 

 ropes, ran along the ground. Some of these rockets were from seven to 

 eight feet in length, and from three to four in circumference, made' of 

 strong timber, and secured by iron hoops, and rattan lashings. The last 

 of them, when discharged, ran over a boy of ten or twelve years old, who 

 died in a few minutes ; three or four grown up persons were also much 

 hurt. Towards evening a great number of fire-works were discharged, 

 which made a very fine appearance. 



The next day was the time appointed for blowing up the corpse. On 

 this occasion, a quarrel arose between the two parties who had pulled the 

 former day, the party which had been unsuccessful insisting that the ca- 

 bles had been cut, and not broken, by the opposite party ; they therefore 

 presented a petition to the viceroy, requesting that they might have 

 another trial at pulling. This was granted, upon which, having procured 

 four new Europe cables, from the ships in the harbour, they re-commen- 

 ced their trial of strength ; however, the party which had been victorious 

 before won again, and broke the cables of the other. The unsuccessful 

 party was not yet satisfied^ but insisted on another trial of strength, the 



