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OCTOB BB, 1899.]
NOTES ON THE NICOBARESE.
259
at night, is lighted and waved a few times inside the grave, whereupon, at a given signal, the earth or sand is rapidly shovelled in with the blades of old paddles by a party of young men who are standing in readiness to perform this duty.
Outside the grave and on the kanoi-kõi are then placed a variety of spears, paddles and other thing873 belonging to the deceased, all of which are broken or damaged before being so deposited, in order that all may see how sincere the moarners are in their intention of denying themselves the use or benefit of any of the property, notwithstanding its undoubted value in their eyes. Another reason given for this wholesale destruction of property is that strangers who have no respect for the sacredness of tabued or sacrificed articles might appropriate uninjured and serviceable objects regardless of the displeasure of the disembodied spirit, who would unquestionably resent any such token of indifference and disrespect by wreaking vengeance probably on those through whose remissness such misconduct had been rendered possible.
After the grave has been filled in, the small post called kanoi-láh, already referred to, is erected a little beyond the foot in order to mark the position and length of the grave. A cord is then fastened between the head and foot posts, and on this are suspended three pairs of hiskāya (ante, Vol. XXIV. p. 45). The middle pair over the centre of the grave is alone filled with water, the two other pairs over the head and foot respectively being empty.
. On the graves of children a touching tribute is paid to their memory by placing on their graves models of the implements, etc., which they would have had oocasion to use in after years had their lives been prolonged. Toys also belonging to the little ones are broken and laid over them.74 In all cases, except that of very young infants, memorial feasts are celebrated. The tabu, however, is less stringent in regard to the cocoanut plantations and trading operations when death takes place before the tenth year or thereabout, after which age the rites and ceremonies for the interment of a child are identical with those for an adult.
Besides the objects already enumerated as placed on the grave it is customary among the communities of the Central group to offer an uneven number of cooking-pots belonging to the dead person, in each of which one or more small holes are carefully bored in order to render it anfit for use. These pots are left there for aboat six months, and are then thrown into the angle with the bulk of the offering875 spared for a while after the first memorial feast, which is invariably celebrated within that period, by which time they are no longer fit to remain en evidence.
* From the nature of these objecta a stranger is able to ascertain the ser of the occupant of the grave.
T3 In the observance of this custom, which is common to all the islands, it is not obligatory on the part of the widow, widower, father, son or other relative of the deceased to perform any special act in the work of destruction, such as breaking pottery, eto.
14 As an instance of this, I would here quote from a note I made in September, 1886, when visiting Teressa island. On that occasion I saw in one of the villages the grave of recently buried child, aged about two years. As is the invariable custom at that island, the grave was situated close to the hut which had been the home of the deceased. Round the head-post was wrapped an Areca spathe, and from it hung a basket (hentain, anle, Vol. XXIV. p. 108), in which were placed offerings of fruit and vegetables, together with stem-sheath of the ground-rattan (konshōch, ante, Vol. XXIV. p. 108), also cocoanuts and hishoya (vide ante), the latter purposely riddled with holes. Bandles of Chavica leaves and a homyáhta (ante, Vol. XXIV. p. 169), which had been twisted out of shape and otherwise damaged, were also to be seen. I also observed & miniature axe, brooms, dios and knives. At the foot of the grave on a bamboo pole were models of various domestic implements, also a paddle, skull-hat (ante,
XXIV. pp. 185-6), a bottle of cocoanut-oil and a spathe-box (tafsi, ante, Vol. XXIV. p. 48) containing an offering of new calioo. Stripe of coloured calioo were attached to both the head-post and the bamboo pole, and a cane connected the two, from which a string of young cocoannts was suspended. On the grave itself was laid lengthwise a coconut-lonf. Both the bereaved parents were smeared with turmeric-pasto, and presented a ghastly jaandioe-like appearance.
"The only things placed on the grave for the use of the disembodied spirit are a little tobacco, unripe cocoaputa, fruit and water. In the grave it has money and abundance of cloth and ornaments wherewith to make a good start on arriving in Hades.
