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OCTOBER, 1874.]
ARCHÆOLOGICAL NOTES.
275
long straggling procession, keening as they went, neighbouring tuft of trees. The dead man's with a long wailing lamentation, now rising, herd of buffaloes, which had been driven to the now falling, with a very mournful effect. It was spot, was then brought up, and two old and understood that they were recounting the deeds worthless cows seized and dragged to the hut, and qualities of the deceased, and at times re- and the body lifted up three times to the side proaching him fondly for leaving them. As the of each ; both were then killed by a blow between procession went on, Todas from other munds the horns with the back of an axe, and the joined and fell in, adding their lamentations to bodies laid, one on each side of the dead man, the dirge. On arriving at the burning-ground, and his hands made to clasp a horn of each, the bier and body were carried into a rude hut amid redoubled lamentations from all present, made of boughs, leaves, and grass, which had who sat in groups with foreheads pressed to been previously constructed, and grain, sugar, foreheads, sobbing violently and streaming with and sweetmeats were laid in the folds of the tears. This solemn leave-taking-for such it new cloth enveloping the corpse, thus showing seemed meant to symbolize-between the dead that the idea of providing the soul for its and the herd that was his dearest earthly care, journey into the unknown land, which the was not a little imposing. When the pile was tombs and rites of all races show to have existed completed, fire was obtained in the immemoriin all regions and ages, is strong even in this ally primitive savage way, by rubbing two dry wild, sequestered tribe. Four long Toda staves sticks together; this was done mysteriously and and several skeins of thread ornamented with apart, for such a mode of obtaining fire is looked bunches of small white cowries were laid across upon as something secret and sacred, and I the body, and the great toes tied together regret not having endeavoured to ascertain with blue thread; meanwhile the women sat the exact method. The pile was then lit in without the hut, lamenting and moaning in several places; more grain, sugar, and some cessantly. A number of rough stones were tobacco were sprinkled over the corpse and then laid upon the grass in a circle, with tied in the cloth; some pice and two or three twoan open space for entrance on one side, and anna pieces were put in the small bag that had the body was lifted from the bier, and laid out- served him as a purse, and the nearest relative side the circle, and the Priest of the tribe cut some hair from his head. The pilo was now (not the Palai), who was present, handed a bag beginning to blaze, and half-a-dozen men lifting to the nearest relatives, who tied it to a stick, up the body, still arrayed in its new cloth and with which they turned up some earth, and, ornaments, sweng it thrice, rather roughly, to with heads mantled, threw three handfals into and fro, with the face downward, over the the middle of the circle, and three upon the flame, and laid it in that position on the body, which was then carried back into the pile; why in that position is not clear, the hut. I regret not having ascertained the meaning only reason assigned being custom. As the or symbolism of this, especially of the circle of burning went on, the relatives drew their stones. Col. Marshall considers it analogous to mantles over their heads and wept loudly; dry the “dust to dust" of English funerals, and his | wood and fagots were continually added, and as well as other accounts represent the throw- a great fire and heat maintained. When the ing of earth as well as of grain on the body as body was judged to be consumed, and the being joined in by the general assemblage, and pile allowed to sink into a mass of glowing continued longer; the connection of the circle embers, water was thrown on it, and a search of stones with the ceremonies is also remarkable made for any piece of bone, especially of as showing a thread of relation between this the skull, that remained unconsumed; these primitive people and similar pre-historic remains, were picked out, tied in an old cloth, and rethough at the present day they pay no attention served for the Dry Funeral. I understood that to the few ancient circles existing on the Nilgiris. the younger members of the deceased's tribe The body was then lifted back into the hut, by would shave their heads and faces, and the which the women sat wailing, whilst a large women clip their hair, and that the mind where funeral pile was built of dry logs, of which a he died woula be deserted for a certain period. stack seemed to be kept in readiness in a It does not appear that the same order of ob
