The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-06-02

Soici anu 1tHlIinR tne vases Win OameHds, ana
other costly and elegant flowers, and upon my
making some inquiries, they said that they had this
service to perform every other day in the year.
The tomb was inscribed "MoN PEREZ" and was
erected by an only daughter and an only child. |
have more than once another and a far more
splendid mausoeum, giving the same evidences of
respect and affection for the slumberlng dead, and
a few evenings since, l was walking at dusk
through the cemetery, saw the mother with
servant at the tomb Of her daughter, having every
stick and leaf removed, and placing in the most
costly and magnificent vases, numerous boquets Of
of porcelain set in the front wall when built, which
are filed day after day by afectionate survivors,
who give year after year this touching and beaut-
full testimony, that those who slumber in these
silent dwelling places Of the dead not forgotten.
At evening you may see here and there female
clad in the weeds Of the deepest mourning, visit
ing the tomb OF one who was dear in life, and eav-
ing the customary token of love and remembrance
for the dead. Flowers almost always seen at
funerals, whether Catholic or Protestant; they
are placed in the con and at the burial Of children
they are scattered proiusely upon the bier.
day among the Roman Catholics They then re-
sort in crowds to The cemetery to visit the ombs of
their friends, and engage in religious devotions
near the sleeping dust of those they have loved
leaving behind them fresh flowers, and wreaths
and crosses OF amaranth many of which now re-.
main as they were left, more than six months ago.
Other crowds also go from curiosity, not always ]
am sorry 10 say to treat with becoming respect the
presence of those who are drawn thither by affsc-
ton for the departed, as much as by superstious
views of the influence of their prayers upon the
dead.
One entire square in the Roman Catholic ceme-
terry land each square is surrounded on its four
sides by the streets of the city, is appropriated to
the blacks, and no one upon entering it would lis
tingush it from the Others. The tombs are built in
he
following is an inscription which copied here:
AGNI VANCE
RosALIA,
NATURAL pFL SENEGAL,
ee4isiss ss3siSi . g, a. o54rtoa. ... .
"A los de edad.
In this part of the cemetery | once happened to
witness funeral, attended by two or three hun
dred people of color, which in all its appearance
and circumstances was one of the widest scenes
that have met with in connec ton with the burial
OF the dead. Before the funeral procession arrived
as the narrow tomb was open, looked in, and saw
that it had already been tenaDted more than once
Two skulls and a heap of bones were pushed into
tns back part to make room for the new tenant.
When the carriages drove up to the gateway out
of the first jumped Il half dozen boys in surpces,
one OF Them bearing aloft cross. From another
stepped three Roman Catholic priests, who, upon
entering the walls, commenced chanting The bu-
rial service, and continued to sing until they
III.
one of them read short service, looking toward
the coffin, and rapidly waving his hand towards it,
as If speaking to the body or the spirit. The rest
then Joined in a chorus, and the moment they
ceased the friends broke out into waing, which
IN the gathering shades of night, and with the
burial rites, which had been conducted in an un.
known tongue, accompanied with sort of incan.
tatlon, altogether reminded me of some heather
scene.
The Protestant cemetery is situated in the Sec.
nIcIp itu tha A
leans, as it is called. 1t is dank, and to me dis
NAL place OF burial. The water stands in its
trenches almost through the year, and everywhere
you may see the chameleon, or lizard, five or six
inches IN length, darting along the ground upon
the trees with surprising velocity, and occasionally
stopping to watch you with his bright basilisk
eyes, having more of fire and intelligence in hi.
look than any reptile that [ have ever seen. |
have seen them here of various coorx, from the
brightest green to the darkest brown and am told
that they change to several hues within few mo-
ments. In this cemetery repose the dead from all
the States, and of all nations. In burying the re-
mains OF one from yonr own city, few days since,
l noticed near his tomb the name of niece of the
celebrated Merle d'Aubtgne. 1t is a matter of
deep interest, to stranger, to pass along and
read the inscriptions upon the fronts of the narrow
houses. Besides meeting with names from all
lands, (he place OF nativity is generally given,
where there is any lpscrptonD every one may meet
with the name OF some friend or acquaintance
within this enclosure.
There is another cemetery in Lafayette, having
the same general charac terstics with those have
spoken Of, but upon higher ground so as to admit
OF burial in graves, although lew depart from the
ordinary practice to bury above the ground The
fremen also have fine cemetery, situated about
three miles from the city, on the Shell Road lead
ing to Lake Pontchartrain, and near this is the
Odd Fellows Rest On the teway of the for
mer, which is called the Cypress Grove Gene.
terry, is the following beautiful passage from Pier.
pont:
Here to thy bosom, Mother Earth.
Take back IN peace what thou hast given
And all that is of heavenly birth.
U GOd, IN peace recall TO Heaven"
These, with the Jews, ST. Patrck's, and the
Po,ter's Field, are the principal cemeteries of New
Orleans. Almost every thing about this city is pe-
cullar, but in nothing is it more peculiar than in it's
burial places. Various are the opinions of the liv-
ing with respect to the mode of burial Were it left
to my choice, | would sleep beneath the green sod
OF some quiet country church-yard, where the NOR
tai part might slumber in the lap of its mother
earth, rather than to be walled up in brick and
mortar, in the midst of such a city, and to have nv
bones, ere long, rudely pushed aside, 10 make room
for some new. conner TO the city of the dead. But
it matters little, after ALL where we leave the CLAW
If the soul is but fitted to reclaim its former habita
ton IN the resurrection of the just, and reunited to
dwell forever in the land where there will! be no
more death. Yours, most truly, EUsEBlUs.
-&>e
From Mayhew's Great Exhibition of 1851.