mourning, after the two men who bore the body
in their arms.

(*Footnote. He had been murdered by his countrymen whilst tending Mr.
Bussel's cattle.)

The dirge, as distance blended all the voices, was very plaintive, even
musical; nor did the diminution of distance destroy the harmony entirely;
some of the chants were really beautiful, but rendered perhaps too harsh
for our ears in actual contact: for as I joined myself to the procession,
and became susceptible of the trembling cadence of each separate
performer--the human voice in every key which the extremes of youth and
age might produce, there was a sensation effected which I cannot well
describe--a terrible jarring of the brain. The fact that the involuntary
tears rolled down the cheeks of those infants who sat passively on their
mothers' shoulders, not appreciating the cause of lament, but merely as
listeners, must prove that these sounds are calculated to affect the
nervous system powerfully.

CEREMONIES ON INTERMENT.

The procession moved slowly on and at length arrived at the place fixed
upon for the burial. There had been a short silence previous to coming
thus far, as if to give the voice a rest; for as the body touched the
ground, and the bearers stood erect and silent, a piercing shriek was
given, and as this died away into a chant some of the elder women
lacerated their scalps with sharp bones until the blood ran down their
furrowed faces in actual streams. The eldest of the bearers then stepped
forward and proceeded to dig the grave. I offered to get a spade, but
they would not have it; the digging stick was the proper tool, which they
used with greater despatch than from its imperfect nature could have been
expected at first sight. The earth being loosened with this implement was
then thrown out with the hands with great dexterity, in complete showers
so as to form, in the same line with the grave, at both ends, two
elongated banks, the sand composing them so lightly hurled as to seem
almost like drift-sand on the seashore. In the throw, if perchance the
right limit was outstepped, the proper form was retained by sweeping.

The digging, notwithstanding the art displayed, was very tedious: they
all sat in silence, and there were no chants to understand, or to fancy
one understood, or perhaps to make meanings to.

But at length the grave was finished, and they then threw some dry leaves
into it, and, setting fire to them, while the blaze was rising