348 FUNERAL CEREMONIES. 
stood across the body, one at the head, and one at 
the foot, facing each other. 
Having cut above the abdomen the strings bind- 
ing the cloths which were wound round the body, 
they proceeded to cut a slit of about ten inches long, 
through the swathing cloths above the belly ; 
through this opening, they removed the arms, which 
appeared to have been crossed there, laying them 
down by the sides, inside the wrappings (for no part 
was unwound) ; having warmed a handful of green 
boughs over afire, they thrust them in through the 
opening in the cloths, upon the naked belly of the 
corpse ; after a little while these were removed, and 
one of their sorcerers made an incision of about 
eight inches long in the abdomen. Having pulled 
out the entrails and peritoneum, they were turned 
over, and carefully examined, whilst the women 
kept wailing and cutting* themselves more violently 
than before, and even the men themselves lamented 
aloud. When this had been continued for some 
time, a portion of the omentum was cut off, wrapped 
in green leaves, and then put carefully away in a 
bag. The entrails were now replaced, a handful or 
two of green leaves thrust in above them, the 
cloths replaced, and the body again bound up ready 
for interment. 
* Also an American custom. — Catlin, vol. i. p. 90 . Lacerat- 
ing the flesh at death was expressly forbidden in the Jewish 
dispensation. It is practised also in New Zealand. — Vide 
Dieffenbach. 
