Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-03-22
Curious Indian Custom.

A California correspondent, writing to
friend in this city, gives the following de-
scripton of all Indian funeral;
81 must tell you how spent New Years
afternoon. Just after dinner little Indian
boy came into my cabin, from camp some
three or four hundred yards above here,
where there are about forty Indians encamp-
ed and invited me to go over to thei' place
and witness the burning Of the body of young
s1uaw who was killed the day before in our
dirpiries, by the bank caving in or her.
gladly accepted the invitation, as had been
wishing for something to ttrn up tina: would
take of portion of my loneliness, snd went
up with him to see the curious process.
"The motive which impels the California
Indians to burn their dead arises from a
strange poin, in their religious views. They
believe that there is vast and pleasant
camping ground somewhere in the Far West,
where spirits ofall Indians who have depart
ed this life live together in perpetual ease
and plenty, ard which is presided over by
Great Spiritof unspeakable goodness. They
believe, also, that there is al evil Spirit, who
is constantly watching every opportunity to
niure them, and, who having the power to
keep them out of Heaven as they now exist
in the be dy, il is their duty, by concliauon
or stratagem, to thwart his plan. They be-
lieye, 100, that the heart is immortal, and
thai, while the body is burning, the heart
leaps out, and, if By noises and motions they
can attract the evil Spirits attention, the
heart escapes to its Heaven OF eternal rest,
where it is forever safe But if the body Is
buried, the evil one keeps continual guard
over the grave, SO that When the heart essays
to escape, it is made prisoner, and is, thence
{ rth employed to annoy the living relatives
Very soon after | arrived at the camp, the
body was prepared for burning, The knees
were forced tow ards The chin upon the breast
and the limbs and body bound firmly toseth'
er in the smallest possible compass. She
was then wrapped in blanket, and placed OF
the ground with her face towards ne SKY ana
exposed. Every sound Was then huShed
while the men and women sat in groups
around the corpse, for about twenty minutes.
They then all rose simultanHousIy-the WON
! en- to renew their wailing, and the men tc
build the funeral pyle. When the Pyre was
about two fee, high, the noise again ceased
and death.like silence reigned, while the
men lifted the corpse and placed it upon the
pyre. Then 'ho body was completely cover
| ed with additional wood and combust;b'eS -
The oldest tnd dearest eative of the decea-
| set then advanced with torch and hred the
nile. When the first carl OF smoke was vlsl-
| bile, the discordant howlings of the women
became almost appalling, the men stood in
sulen and un6ruken silence, the nearest re-
la,iyes, with poles in their hands, commen'
ced frantic dance around the burning
body, occasionally stoppingto turn it over and
give III g heart better chance t, escape
while with waving cloths and hideouS noises
they all tried to attract the attention OF The
| evil one. Meanwhile all the personal prop
ertv of the deceassd was throw n into the fire
her relations frequently adding their owl
yaIuables, even 10 the scanty garments abou
their persons, that she might want for moth
mo in the Great Camping Ground
i '"Whcn The body. was all consumed, th
ashes were scraoed together, and a rud