276 Jn Hijlorîcal Journal of 



is found. Then the Preliminaries of Tears, Dances, Songs, 

 and Feafts, being ended, they carry the Body to the ufual Bury- 

 ing-Pîace- or, if they are too far off, to the Place where it is tore- 

 main till the Feftival of the Dead. They dig there a very large 

 Pit, and they make a Fire in- it : Then fome young Perfons 

 approach the Corpfe, cut out the Flelh in the Parts which had 

 been marked oiit by a Tyîafler of the Ceremonies, and throw them 

 into the Fire v/ith the Bowels : Then they place the Corpfe, 

 thus mangled, in the Place deflined for it. During, the whole 

 Operation, the Women, efpecially the Relations of the Deceafed, 

 go continually round thofe that are at it, exhorting them to ac- 

 quit themfelves well of their Employment, and put Beads of 

 Porcelain in their Mouths, as we would give Sugar-Plum^bs to 

 Children to entice them to do what we defire. 



The Interment is followed by Prefents, which they make to 

 mrL . \ /r > the aiHided Family ; and this is called 



tJ^eDead. Thefe' Prefents are made in thf 

 e nermen . Name of the Village, and fometimes in the 

 Name of the Nation. Allies alfo make fome Prefents at the 

 Death of confiderable Perfons : But fir 11 the Family of the Det- 

 ceafed makes a great Feaft in his Name, and this Feafl is ac- 

 companied with Games, for which they propofe Prizes, which 

 are performed in this Manner : A Chief throws on the Tomb 

 three Sticks about a Foot long : A young Man, a Woman, and 

 a Maiden, take each of them one ; and thofe of their Age, their 

 Sex, and their Condition, ftrive to wreil them out of their 

 Hands. Thofq with whom the Sticks remain, are Conquerors, 

 There are alfo Races, and they fometirnes fhoot at a Mark. In 

 Ihort, by a Cuftom which we find eftabliihed in all the Times of 

 Pagan Antiquity, a Ceremony entirely mournful is terminated 

 by Songs, and Shouts of Vi^^ory. 



It is true, that the Family of the Deceafed take no Part in 

 f\p ■p./r . thefe Rejoicings : They obferve. even in his 



u/ Mourmng. ^^^.^^ ^^^^^ Obfequies, a Mourning, the 



Laws of yv;hîch are very fevere : They muft have their Hair cut 

 off, and their Facçs blacked : They muft fland with their Heads 

 wrapped in a Blanket : They mull not look at any Perfon, nor 

 make any Vifit, nor eat any Thing hot : They mull: deprive 

 themfelves of all Pleafures, v/ear fcarce any Thing on their Bo- 

 dies, and never warm themfelves at the Fire, even in the Depth 

 of Winter.- 



After this deep Mourning, which lafts two Years, they begin 

 a fécond more moderate, which lails tv/o or three Years longer, 

 and which may be foftened by little and little ; but they dif- 

 penfe with nothing that is prefcribed, without the Confent of the , 



Cabin 



