Manchurian Books

Tati, with his family, remained here, while we proceeded to Papara,
an hour's walk. The road was delightful, leading mostly through
thick groves of fruit-trees; but it would not suit a person with a
tendency to hydrophobia, for we were obliged to wade through more
than half a dozen streams and brooks.
At Papara, Monsieur --- possessed some landed property, with a
little wooden four-roomed house, in which he was kind enough to give
me a lodging.
We here heard of the death of one of Tati's sons, of which he
numbered twenty-one. He had been dead three days, and his friends
were awaiting Tati to pay the last honours to the deceased. I had
intended to make an excursion to the Lake Vaihiria, but deferred
doing so, in order to be present at the burial. On the following
morning, 6th May, I paid a visit to the hut of the deceased.
Monsieur --- gave me a new handkerchief to take with me as a
present--a relic of the old superstition which the people of this
island have introduced into Christianity. These presents are
supposed to calm the soul of the deceased.


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