290 
JOURNAL OF AN EMBASSY 
dalas, or burners of the dead, were represented 
to me as having originated in criminals con¬ 
demned to death, but having their punishment 
commuted. They differ from the Taong-m’hu, 
or executioners, in this,—that the punishment 
of the former descends to their posterity ; where¬ 
as, that of the latter is confined to the indi¬ 
vidual. 
In a short time, the mourners, consisting of 
the female relations and servants of the deceas¬ 
ed, sat down at the foot of the coffin, and began 
to weep and utter loud lamentations. Their 
grief, however, was perfectly under control; for 
they ceased, as if by word of command, when 
the religious part of the ceremony commenced. 
It sometimes happens, I am told, that when the 
families of the deceased have few servants or 
relations, hired mourners are employed for the 
occasions. 
The first part of the office of the Chandalas 
was to open the coffin, turn the body prone,— 
bend back the lower limbs,—place six gilded 
billets of wood under its sides, and four over it. 
The Rahans, or priests, had hitherto neither 
joined the procession nor taken any share in the 
funeral rites, but were assembled in great num¬ 
bers under a shed at no great distance. The 
high priest, or Sare-d’hau, and another priest, 
