Manchurian Books

A cord was then handed
to him. He placed it over the middle of the compass, and altered
its position until it lay exactly in the same direction as the
needle. A second cord, with a plummet attached, was then held to
the first and let down into the grave, and the coffin moved
backwards and forwards according to this line, until the middle was
in the same direction as the needle: this arrangement consumed at
least another quarter of an hour.
After this, the coffin was covered over with numberless sheets of
white paper, and the person who had conducted the previous operation
made a short speech, during which the children of the deceased threw
themselves upon the ground. When it was finished, the speaker threw
a few handfuls of rice over the coffin and to the children, who held
up the corner of their outer garments so as to catch as many of the
grains as possible; but as they only succeeded in obtaining a few,
the speaker gave about a handful more, which they tied up carefully
in the corner of their dress, and took away with them.


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