27 a 



by eight negroes, not upon their fhoulders, but 

 upon four clean white napkins placed under 

 the coffin. The body was committed to the 

 grave, immediately, on reaching it, without 

 either prayer or ceremony ; and the cof- 

 fin, diiedly, covered with earth. In doing 

 this, much decent attention was obfierved. 

 The mould was not Ihovelled in roughly 

 with the fpade, almoft difturbing the dead, 

 with the rattling of ftones and bones upon 

 ' the coffin, but was firft put into a bafket, 

 and then carefully emptied Into the grave ; 

 an obfervance which might be adopted in 

 England very much to the comfort of the 

 afflicted friends of the deceafed. 



During this procefs an old negro wo- 

 man chanted an African air, and the mul- 

 titude joined her in the chorus. It was not 

 in the ftrain of a hymn, or folemn re- 

 quiem, but was loud and lively, in unifon 

 with the other gaieties of the occafion. 



Many were laughing and fporting the' 

 whole time with the fifliermen, who danced 

 and gambolled, during the ceremony, upon 



