Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1856-02-02
Chinese Funeral in California.

CURIOUS CEREMoNY.-We find the following
in a late number Of the San Francisco Herald ::
Yesterday was O. great day in Chinadom. A
rich man had died. He had during his life
boon prominent merchant, and occupied a
position of influence among his countrymen.
His death, therefore, was considered to be an
event. IT he had been a poor man, he mil ht
have been carried out, rolled up in winding
sheet, on the back of his son or some faithful
friend, and tumbled into hastily constructed
grave, and with the last sod laid over him would
have persisted all recolections of his virtues or
his faults. With the rich man it is different.
His good qualities are enhanced in the public
estimation by knowledge of his wealth. Vir-
tue, when associated with large possessions
ty obscures the brightest rays. It is so in
civilized communities, and the Chinese have not
been had imitators.
The Chinese merchant, at whose grave n
most curious ceremony was performed yester-
day, died about three weeks ago. He was in
tered in the Lone Mountain Cemetery, without
any pomp. Yesterday, however, large num-
Der of his relations and friends proceeded to his
grave for the purpose of making offerings to his
names. A reverence for the dead is one of the
most striking characteristics of the Chinese
race. 1t is, in fact, the cornerstone of their
religious belief. On arriving at the grave, the
whole company alghted from the carriages in
which they had been conveyed, and commenced
the ceremony by spreading mats all around it.
roast pig was placed at the foot, something
else at the head, while all over it were strewed
applesdumplings, fruits and flowers To an
outside barbarian, it looked very like q we'll
gotten.up pic-nic-aud, to all appearance, all
that the Chinese present required in order to
make very good meal, which would be very
practicable aud sensible way of testifying their
respect for the memory Of their deceased friend,
was the chop-sticks.
The delicacies we're, however. all intended
for the use of the hungry soul of the deceased
merchant, which had not tasted food for three
weeks, "a privation that would no doubt have
been seriously felt if it had been in the flesh,)
and which it was supposed was lowering around,
smacking its lips over the dainty food they had
provided for it. AS soon as all the eatables
were laid on the grave, the widow of the de-
ceased hobbled up and took her stand at the
foot. Around her head several yards of white
cloth were rolled. priest with very curly
pig-tail, very long blue gown reaching to his
feet, and a very long face stood at the head.
The friends and relatives stood around. As
soon as the woman commenced to wall, all the
clothes Of the deceased were taken out of trunk
and set on fire. Among the clothes were several
pieces of fine silk, which had apparently never
been worn. The whole, probably, was worth
$500.
Four canary birds were let loose in order to
help the soul of the deceased in its flight to
another world and when the clothes were all
consumed, and the canary birds had taken
shelter in neighboring grove, the priest with
the long face rang bell which he had id his
hand, at the same time muttering prayer of
incarnation. A general howl followed. The
ceremony was concluded by the whole company
marching around the grave, headed by the
priest, who rang his bell at every step, and
looked very solemn, indeed. The pig and the
apple dumplings and the fruits and the flowers,
and the mating, were all carefully packed in
the carriages, and the whole party then return
ed to town, where, we are informed, the eatables
exposed on the grave will be sold In small
pieces, at exhorbitant prices, to those who are
inclined.