150 



DEATFI OF A PRIEST. 



OriAP. VIII. 



located in the monastery, and the ceremonies con- 

 nected with his wake and funeral I shall now 

 endeavour to describe : — 



A young priest — a mere boy— came running 

 breathless one morning into the house where I was 

 staying, and called out to my host, " Come with me, 

 make haste, for Tang-a is dying." We hastened 

 to the adjoining house, which was the abode of the 

 sick man, but found that the king of terrors had 

 been before us, and the priest was dead. By this 

 time about a dozen persons were collected, who 

 were all gazing intently on the countenance of 

 the dead man. After allowing a few minutes to 

 elapse, orders were given to have the body washed 

 and dressed, and removed from the bed to a small 

 room with an open front, which was situated on 

 the opposite side of the little court. Mosquito 

 curtains were then hung round the bed on which 

 the body was placed, a lamp and some candles 

 were lighted, as well as some sticks of incense, and 

 these were kept burning day and night. For 

 three days the body lay in state, during which 

 time, at stated intervals, four or five priests decked 

 in yellow robes chanted their peculiar service. 

 On the third day I was told that the coffin was 

 ready, and, on expressing a wish to see it, was 

 led into an adjoining temple. " Are there two 

 priests dead ? " said I, on observing another coffin 

 in the same place. " No," said one, " but that 

 second coffin belongs to the priest who lived with 

 deceased, and it will remain here until it is needed." 



