Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1854-04-17
MISCELL NE o u s .
Buried Alive.

An English sailor, named Jackson, spent
two years among the natives OF the FeJee
Islands, in the South Sea. From the mar
rative Of his adventure, we quote one pas
sage. describing burial alive. A young
Fejee man was ailing; he had lost his APP
petite and fearing to be reproachcd by
the Fejee beauties for being skeleton
shame being an uncomfortable emotion
resolved to be buried alive. Jackson
tiled to dssuade him from the sacrifice in
yain, and the scene now to be described
followed:
by this time, all his relations had col
lected round the door. His father had
kind of wooden spade to dig the grave
with, his mother had new suit CT tapa,
his sister some vermillion and whales
tooth, as an introduction to the great god
Of Rae Rage. He arose, took up his bed
and walked not for death, his father,
mother and sister following after, with
several other distant relations, whom ac-
companied. noticed that they seemed
to follow something in the same way that
they follow corpse in Europe to the
grave, Chat is, as far as relationship and
acquaintance are coneerned,) but, Instead
of lamenting, they were, if not rejoicing,
acting and chatting in very unconcerned
way At last, we reached place where
several graves could be seen, and a spot
was soon selected by the man who was 10
be buried. The old man, his father, began
digging his grave, while his mother assist
cd her son in putting Oh new tapa, and
the girl (his sister) was besmearing him
VII. vermillion and lamp black, so as to
snn.i him ot..ent into the invisible world,
he uhe y;.tim) delivering messages that
were TO be take. by his sister to PeSple;
then absent. His fathe. then announced
to him and the rest that tnc grave was
completed, and asked him, in rasher a
surly tone, if he was not ready by this
time. The mother then nosed him, aud
likewise the sister. He said, before l die,
should like drink of water. His fath-
CIR made surly remark, and said, as he
ran to fetch it in a leaf doubled up, You
have been considerable trouble during
your life, and it appears you are going to
trouble us equally at your death" The
father returned with the water, which
The son drank of, and then looked up into
tree covered with tough vines, saying
he should prefer being strangled with a
vine to being smothered i'll the grove
His father became excessively angry, and
spread ing the mat al the bottom OF the
grave, told the son to die 'iaka tamaqua,
dixie many when he stepped INTO the
grave, which was not more than four feet
deep, and lay down on his back, with the
whales tooth in his hands, which were
clasped across his belly. The spare sides
of the mat were Tapped over him, as t.
prevent the earth from getting to his body
and then about foot of earth shovellee
in upon him as quickly as possible. Hi
father stamped it Immediately down sohd
and called out in loud voice, "Sa tiko
sa tiko," (You are stopping there, you arr
stopping there,) meaning goodbye, good
bye." The son answered with yer!
audible grunt, and then abou! two lee
more earth were shovelled in and stamPes
as before by the loving father, and 81
tiko" called out again, which was answer
by another grunt, but much fainter. Ih
grave WAS then completely filled up, when
for curiosity's sake, | SAID myself, ~
ukO, but no answer was gwen "''"o"S'
l fancied or really did see the earth cracl
a little on the top Of the grave. The faith
Ell and mc,her, then turned back to bacl
on the middle OF the grave, aud, havnl
dropped some kind OF leaves from thei
hands, walked away in opposite direction
to running stream OF water hard by
where they and all the rest washed them
selves, ard made me wash myself, ar
then we returned to the town. where ther
was feast prepared. As soon as I'll
feast was over Gt being then dark bega
the dance aud uproar Mhich are AWAY
carried Oh either at natural CT violel
deaths. All classes then give themselye
up to excess, especially at unnatural dealt
of this sort, and create all manner OF VI
roar, by means of large bamboos, trumpe
shells, Sc, which contributed to the gel
eral noise which is considered requisite
drive the spirit away, and deter him irol
desiring to dwell or even hover about h
late residence.