A FUNERAL OF IMPORTANCE. 
the body and bier^ and the procession proceeds; gener- 
ally , torn -tom beaters bring up the rear. These tom.- 
toms are a sort of rude drum, made of a dried, 
sheep-skin^ strong tight on a round wooden hoop, one 
or two feet in diameter^ suspended by a string round 
the neck of the beater, or he holds it in one. ' hand, 
while he beats with the other. The beating stick is 
a small light piece of wood, with a good hard pad at 
the end, with this the beater strikes sharply on the 
sheep-skin, producing a sound somewhat similar to a 
monotonous sound without (to the European ear) 
music, thus: — Rap, rap, rapf rap, rap, rap,-^tat, tat, tat. 
Of course they have quick and slow variations, but 
one soon gets acquainted with the sound of the tom-tom. 
It is heard at a great distance off, and from the sound 
of it all the ordinary estates are quite aware that a 
death has taken place, and the funeral in in progress. 
On the procession arriving at the grave, which, 
has been previously dug, the bier is lowered from 
the shoulders of the bearers, and the body, rolled up 
in a cloth as before described, laid in its last resting- 
place ; the earth is then filled in and the bier laid on the 
top of the grave. This may be meant to keep off 
the jackals from digging up the corpse, althougii 
it has not always that effect. The ceremony being 
over, the coolies retire to the nearest stream, wash 
all their cloths, and spread them out to dry ; then 
they bathe,’ and carefully wash themselves, clean out 
the room of deceased, and all is over. They will n®t 
likely, however, proceed to work that day. The fu- 
neral described is only that of a poor cooly, and of 
the lowest caste. Of course there are variations in 
the style and expense, according to the rank and 
position of the deceased. Any one of importance 
has a very different funeral. In such a case, all the 
works on the estate are stopped for at least half-a-day, 
and the superintendent may consider himself lucky if 
he gets off with only this or even with one day. 
Most of the same caste people from adjoining estates 
assemble, and there is quite a gathering. Large pots 
and boilers are borrowed from the bazars, rice in 
great quantities is boiled, and strangers after the 
ceremony is' over are entertained with curry and rice. 
A requisition is made to the master for as many leaver 
of the plantain tree as he will allow. These are cut or 
torn into temporary plates, which are placed l)efore 
the visitors, and heaped up with boiled rice. All the 
guests then collect amongst themselves money, and so 
liberal are they in this respect, that, after expenses are 
paid, there is often a surplus, and it is no unusual 
occurrence for the representatives of the deceased, after 
