A MOEO CHIEFTAIN'S HEAVE. 
273 
stmction of a rough kind of basket-work occupied but a short 
time j and separating, as it did, the cavern at its entrance from the 
perpendicular hole, the earth thrown into the latter, was ex- 
cluded from the former. A number of men, by means of long 
strips of bark and a cross-bar attached to the centre of the massive 
tree-trunk, dropped it in a masterly manner into the pit, and raised 
it into a perpendicular position ; the carved end was decorated with 
a falcon's feather, worn on the head of the deceased during his life- 
time. This monument was kept upright by a number of posts that 
filled up the vacancy in the pit, and the interstices were closely 
packed with moistened earth. Above the surface a conical mound, 
having the post for its centre, was raised to three feet high, and 
this was covered with dry thorny branches ; the grave was thus 
completed. A procession of the intimate friends and relatives 
passed round it several times, the women for the most part chanting 
and dancing, while the sorrowing wives divested themselves of their 
ornaments, and threw them on the grave. The ceremony having 
now terminated, a general scrambling marked the dissection of the 
bullocks. The lance was the only instrumerit used ; and regard- 
less of flaying, the pieces of hide remaining attached to the flesh 
were exultingly carried off by the fortunate, while many of the 
weak, eager to obtain a share, were severely buffeted. Eight or 
ten persons kept guard over the grave for a week, and two large fires 
were kept burning night and day. Daily a goat was slaughtered for 
their benefit. 
Even now, a fortnight after the event, the widows at early dawn 
and dusk frequent the spot, and wail in loud and melancholy 
voices, and weep bitterly for the loss of their husbands. 
The first favourable opportunity after Neangara's grief had some- 
what subsided, I learnt from him the reason why the left hand of 
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