NORTH



AMERICAN



INDIANS.



Tongusi," says Abernethy, "evince a great deal of
tenderness at the death of any of their family; their
mourning sometimes lasts for a whole year. For sever-
al days they are commonly exposed on scaffolds within
their cabins, and at other times near the place of inter-
ment. They bring them presents and food, which is
consumed, they imagine,, by their spirits  The Coriaks
have a practice of embalming their dead in caves wvhere
the earth does not touch the corpse. I have seen among
them several bodies in a good state of preservation, after
being dead for several years. In accompanying the re-
mains of the deceased to the burying ground, the wo-
men form a procession,, in which they walk one after



another ; but these
and sing; the rest r
brave deeds of the i
   . 6
a crier, who is gem
memory and fame
Kamschadales use
among thenm the
black, and remain
they reside with 1
whose death they I
that the Tongusi i
for a considerable



ire the women who atre hired to weep
nove onwards irregularly. All the
ieceased are enumerated publicly by
iraJly a near relation of him whose



he endeavours to
almost the same
female mourners
so for ten days, du
the friends and Xi
lament." Santini 2
and Coriaks mouri
time; that the pits



perpetuate4 The,
ceremonies, but
paint themselves
ring which time
relations of those
Lnd La Roche say
i for the deceased
and caves where



the dead are to be carried, must first be furniaated or in-
censed by burning rosin or some dried aromatic herb.
La Roche observed in Karnschatka several women who
sang, wept, and danced at the interment of their dead.
Santini was informed that it was customary among the
Tongusi and Coriaks to bury, along with the dead,
every thing that was dear to them while alive, especial-
ly their arms and family distinctions.





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169