477 



ceremonies be omitted. The coffin is placed 

 upon a couple of tressels in the midtlle of the . 

 room, and two white candles are kept constantly 

 burning both night and day before it. The let- 

 ters ot salutation*, pictures, pier glasses, &c.» 

 are covered with white cloth; and in the morning, 

 at noon, and in the evening, of each day the rela- 

 tives assemble round the coffin, and pray and 

 burn incense. These stated periods for the de- 

 monstration of grief convey to the European, who 

 has wiiuesped the apatliy and levity prevailing 

 in the intervals, a thorough disgust at such 

 mockery of woe. The friends and acquaintances 

 of the deceased send presents of red and quick- 

 silvered paperf, and receive in return a red string 

 called a UHshitf or blessing, the names of the do- 

 nors being entered in a book kept for the same 

 purpose as that described under the head of mar- 

 riages. It is the duty of the friends to sit up in 

 large parties, day and night, with (he corpse; and, 

 in order to prevent their falling asleep, which 

 would be peculiarly unlucky, betel nut, opium, 

 provisions, and the means of gambling, are provi- 

 ded in great abundance by the master of the 

 hoti^e. 



Despite of the extreme care, with which the 

 seams of the coffin are closed, it occasionally hap- 

 pens that a portion of the moisiture of the body 

 in the progress of dissolution exudes through a 

 fissure, and distils upon the ground. Tiie intole- 

 rably loathsome office of licking up this fluid per- 



* Scntenctir of a coimjUuientiiry u a In re from Ij-ieMcb, whicli are Iieng 

 ajjairtjst the vraU. 



. t Tbis paper is supposed to be cosifertiid by tbe sobseqticnt .jpcratlon 

 of bummsitiie red into pold, mnii ilitt quick^Uvered into *Uver, Citin, lor 

 the use ot* the deceased M Uie Qcxt world. 



