Manchurian Books

During my stay here, an old Hindoo woman died near to Herr
Wattenbach's house, which circumstance gave me an opportunity of
witnessing an Indian funeral. As soon as she began to show signs of
death, the women about her every now and then set up a horrible
howling, which they continued at short intervals after her decease.
Presently, small processions of six or eight women approached, who
also commenced howling as soon as they discovered the house of the
mourners. These women all entered the house. The men, of whom
there were a great number present, seated themselves quietly in
front of it. At the expiration of some hours, the dead body was
enveloped in a white shroud, laid upon an open bier, and carried by
the men to the place where it was to be burnt. One of them carried
a vessel with charcoal and a piece of lighted wood, for the purpose
of igniting the wood with the fire of the house.
The women remained behind, and collected in front of the house in a
small circle, in the middle of which was placed a woman who was
hired to assist in the lamentations.


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