47S 



tains to the son ; or, in the event of the nonexist- 

 ence ofsnch a relation, to the daughter, thewife^ 

 &c. whose soever duly it may be, that person is the 

 only medium for removing it, and, should he be 

 casually abs^cnt, his return must be awaited. The 

 task is supjjo^^ed to involve a considerable degree 

 of humiliation, and the son, or person thus employ- 

 ed, beseeches the corpse with many a bitter out- 

 cry, not to subject him to such disgrace. 



On the day ot interment notice is sent to the 

 friends of ihe deceased by a present of betel, a 

 signal which is well understood to convey a sum- 

 mons to the house. At noon the coffin is placed 

 upon the tressels in the middle of ihe street op- 

 posite the house, and the lamentations are renew- 

 ed. The younger branches of the family are made 

 to run round, and underneath, the cofBn, in order 

 that the solemn event may be the more deeply 

 impressed upon their memories, whilst a table 

 spread with viands is placed adjacent. Two 

 poles are fastened by rattan binding, one on ei- 

 ther side of the coffin, in a manner similar to 

 those of a sedan chair, and tlrree bars rvrn across 

 them at each end, where they project beyond the 

 coffin, fur the convenience of the bearers. 



A\'hen the procession moves off, the whole of 

 the sons are enveloped irom head to foot in coarse 

 white gtiiifijj dre.<scs and, crawling on all fours, 

 move in advance of the coffiu each beating in 

 his hand a long bamboo with a flag attached. If, 

 however, the deceased be the mottier, instead of 

 the father, of the family, a branch of the Dedap 

 tree, (the Banhlnia BidenUtia'^ of Jack), a tree 



• MalavED MbceUinles, Vol. &l. Dcicrtplion of Malayan Plaou, bj 

 Dr. W. Jack. 



