Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/193

 burial of tfie deadi i S r

relations convened, with flowing hair, and wept over them about half an: hour. Then they carried them home to their friendly magazines of mor tality, wept over them again, and then buried them with the ufual folem-- nities ; putting their valuable effects, and as I am informed, other con venient things in along with them, to be of fervice to them in the next ftate.. The chieftain carried twelve fhort flicks tied together, in the form of a- quadrangle, fo that each fquare confifted of three. The flicks were only peeled, without any paintings ; but there were fwans feathers tied to each' corner, and as they called that frame, Tereekpe tobeb, " a white circle," and placed it over the door, while the women were weeping over the bones,, perhaps it was originally defigned to reprefent the holy fire, light, and fpi- rit, who formerly prefided over the four principal itandards of the twelve' tribes of Ifrael..

When any of their people die at home, they warn and anoint the corpfe, : and foon bring it out of doors for fear of pollution ; then they place it oppo- fite to the door, on the fkins of wild beafts, in a fitting poflure,-as look ing into the door of the winter houfe, weft ward, fufficiently fupported with all his moveable goods; after a fhort elogium, and fpace of mourn ing, they carry him three times around the houfe in which he is to be interred, ftoping half a minute each time, at the place where they began the circle, while the religious man of the deceafed perfon's family, who goes before the.hearfe, fays each time, Tab 9 fhort with a bafs voice, and then invokes on a tenor key, To, which at the fame time is likewife fung. by all the proceflion, as long as one breath allows. Again, he flrikes up,v on a Iharp treble key, the fceminine note, //<?, which in like manner, is taken up and continued by the reft: then all cf them fuddenly ftrike off. the folemn chorus, and facred invocation, by faying, on a low key, Wab\\ which conftitute the divine eflfential name, Tohewah. This is the method, in which they performed the funeral rites of the chieftain before referred to; during which time, a great many of the traders were prefent, as our company was agreeable at the interment of our declared patron and friend. It feems as if they buried him in the name of the divine cflence, and directed their plaintive religious notes to the author, of life and death, in hopes of a refurredion of the body, which hope engaged the Hebrews to fti'e their burying places, " the houfe of the living."

Wheoi

�� �