252 TlMEHRI. 
in her father's house after the wedding, and she 
enjoys more privileges than the husband, because she can 
speak to everybody, but he cannot speak to the wife's 
relations without great caution, or when he finds them in 
liquor. They always shun such meeting. They have few 
remedies in cases of illness. They simply use plain herbs 
for wounds, and even if the sick person were on the eve 
of dying, he would only be fed on food to which he was 
accustomed when in good health. 
When a Carib dies the women wash him, comb and 
rub roucou on him ; place him in a hammock and paint 
his lips and cheeks with vermillion : afterwards he is 
wrapped up in the hammock and buried. The hole is 
dug in the hut, he is placed in a sitting attitude, resting 
on his heels or with the arms across the chest, with two 
weights on the eyes, that he may not see his parents and 
not make them ill. They make fire round the tomb to 
purify the air and that the deceased may not catch cold. 
All his goods are buried, a man covers him with a board, 
and the women throw earth on it. If the deceased owned 
a negro, the latter is killed in order to serve his master 
in the other world. His dog is also buried to guard him 
and watch those that caused him to die. They then 
begin their screams. The whole hut resounds with tears 
and groans ; they are seen dancing, crying, and singing 
together, but in a doleful voice. They say only two or 
three words at a time, such as : Why are you dead f 
Were you tired of life ? Did you not have cassava 
enough ? repeating the same thing. 
But, if he has been killed, they will say something 
against the murderer, and praise the defun6t. If he has 
relations in other huts they all meet to cry, and the 
