152 



FUNERAL CEREMONIES. Chap. VIII. 



ingots of Sycee silver common in circulation. The 

 clothes and silver were intended as an offering to 

 Buddha — certainly a cheap way of giving away 

 valuable presents. A rude painting of Buddha 

 was hung up in the centre of the court, in front of 

 which incense was burning, — and these with many 

 other objects of minor note completed the picture 

 which was presented to my view. " Is not this 

 very fine ?" said the priest to me ; " have you any 

 exhibitions of this kind in your country ? You 

 must pay a visit in the evening, when all will be 

 lighted up with candles, and when the scene will 

 be more grand and imposing." I promised to 

 return in the evening, and took my leave. 



About eight o'clock at night an old priest came 

 to inform me that all was lighted up, that the 

 ceremonies were about to begin, and kindly asked 

 me to accom23any him. On our entrance the 

 whole court was blazing with the light of many 

 candles, the air was filled with incense, and the 

 scene altogether had an extraordinary and imposing 

 effect. A priest dressed in a rich scarlet robe, and 

 having a sort of star-shaped crown on his head, 

 with four others of an inferior order, were march- 

 ing up and down the court, and bowing lowly 

 before the images of the gods. At last they 

 entered the central hall, and took their seats at 

 two tables. The high-priest, if I may call him so, 

 occupied the head of the room, and had his chair 

 and table placed on a higlier level than the others, 

 who were exactly in front of him. A servant now 



