The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1856-01-26
chinese Funera1 In california.

= We lind the following Ill o late nuIloer u
the San Francisco Herald
Yesterday was q great dayin Chinadom. A
rich man had died. He had during his lie
been a prominent merchant, and occupied q
position of influence among his countrymen.
His death, therefore, was considered to be an
event. If he had been a poor man, he might
have been carried out, rolled in a winding
sheet, on the back of his son or some faithful
friend, and tumbled into q hastily constructed
grave, and with the last sod laid over him
would have persisted all recollections Of his viz
tues or his faults. With the rich mar it is
different. His good qualities are enhanced In
the public estimation by o knowledge OF his
wealth. Virtue, when associated with large
possessions, shines out with o pure re.ulgence,
while poverty obscures the brightest rays. 1t
in is SO civilized communities, and the Chinese
have not been imitators. IA. NJ,
The Chinese merchant, at whose grave o
most curious ceremony was performed yester-
day, died about three weeks, ago. He was
inferred in the Lone Mountain Cemetery, with
out any pomp. Yesterday, however, q large
number Of his relations and friends proceeded
to his grave for the purpose Of making offer
ings to his names. A reverence for the dead
is one Of the most striking characteristics of
thu Chinese race. 1t is, in fact, the corner
stone of their religious belief. On arriving at
the grave, the whole company alighted from
the Carriages in which they had been conveyed,
and commenced the ceremony by spreading
the foot, something else at the head, while all
over it were strewed apple,dumplings, fruits IS
and flowers. To all outside barbarian, it
looked very like a well-gotten-up pic-nic-and,
to all appearance, all that the Chinese present
required in order to make a very good meal,
which would be a very practicable and sensi-
BILE way of testifying their respect for the
memory of their deceased friend, was the chop
sticks.
The delicacies were, however, all intended for
the use Of the hungry soul of the deceased
merchant, which had not tasted food for three
weeks, Ia privation that would no doubt have
been seriously felt if it had been in the flesh
and which it was supposed was lowering
around, snaching 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 deceased hobbled up and took her stand at
the food. Around her head several yards Of
white cloth were rolled. A priest with o very
curly pig-tail, o 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 vail, all
the clothes of the deceased were taken out Of a
trunk and set on fire. Among the clothes
were several pieces Of fine silk, which had ap-
%parently never been worn. The whole, prob
ably, was worth $500.
-Four canary birds were let loose in order to
help the soul Of the deceased i'll its flight to an.
other world; and when the clothes were all
consumed, and the canary birds had taken
shelter in a %neighboring grove, the priest with
the long face rang q bell which he had in his
hand, at the same time muttering q prayer o.
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, ani
looked very solemn indeed. The pig and tht
apple-dumplings, and The fruits and the flowers
and the mating. were all carefully packed in tht
carriages, ard the whole party then returned
TO town, where, we are informed, the eatables
exposed on tie grave will be sold in small
pieces, at eXhorbitant prices, to those who ART
are religiously inclined.