Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1867-10-05
a Funeral in the HolyssLand.

A correspondent of the State Gazette
thus describes funeral near Jericho:
Our tents are pitched near the vii
lage burial place, just as we arrive
natives are engaged in committing one
of their number to his mother DUST
We dismount, and draw near to witness
tie ceremonies of an Arab funeral
Two men were digging the grave, and
probably twenty others standing around
giving directions, sometimes in loud
quarrelsome voice; little way off the
corpse lies wrapped up in white mus
lin shroud, tied at the head and feet; and
not far from this sit probably fifty wo-
men on the ground, some bemoaning in
loud voice, while others seem to be
comforting them. Occasionally ten or a
dozen of the younger woman form a
ring and dance round another-probably
sister of the deceased-uttering i'll the
meantime dolorous song.
In the digging of the grave, we notice
no less than six human skulls, with cor
responding number of other bones of the
body which were thrown out among the
dirt at the side of the grave.
When all was ready, several men pick
up the body, and carry it to the grave in
which they lay it upon its side, with face
turned towards Mecca. Stones are then
fitted i'll around and above the body,
some mortar and dirt thrown in upon
the stones, then the bones which had
been taken out, and finally every man
present, with his hand or his foot, scrapes
in some dirt until the grave is filled up.
Stones are set at the head and foot, upon
which one of the men pOurs little pow
der, and rubs it with spittle and his fin
ger until black mark is left upon each
| The significance of this We do not under
stand, although it doubtless means some
thing. The men keep up sort of chant
while all this is being done, and, in con-
clusion, all the men approach and salute
two of the men present, probably broth
ers of the deceased, by pressing their
own foreheads against Those of the broth
ers, twice in succession. The women,
during the burial, continue seated on the
ground, some distance off, and at no
time approaching the grave. One old
woman, however the mother of the de-
ceased, when the men are gone away,
crawled upon her hands and knees to tho
the foot of the grave, and, with uplif.ed
hands and streaming eyes bemoaned the
loss of her darling boy. This is the sad
dest sight OF the whole proceeding, and
could not but bring tears into all our
eyes. Miserably poor and degraded as
she is, she still loved her boy, and be-
moaned his loss with all of a mothers
love-
While standing near the grave rs the
grave diggers are finishing their work
some ask us for bucksheesh and others
for tobacco. We give both-of the lat
ter all we have in our pouch, and think
nothing more of it; but, when we get
back to our tents, and feel in our side
coat pocket for our handkerchief and
rubber tobacco pouch, find them both
missing. Not content with what We
had given them, these rascals Rad sto-
len both our tobacco pouch and hand
kerchief while we were standing among
them at the grave side-tl11s illustrating
in our own case what Christ had said
concerning the man who went down to
Jericho and fell among thieves. Our
conclusions are, that the Jerichoans of
to-day are no better than they were in
the days of our Savior; and perhaps
they are even worse, since it is not re-
ported of that man that he was attend
ing funeral at the time he was robbed.
How AN EMPEROR TRAvELs.-The
special train in which the Emperor Ma
poleon went with his suite from Paris to
Saulzburg. is described as exceeding i'll
comfort and elegance anything of the
kind that has hitherto been known. The
train consisted of nine carriages, com
municating with each other by tastefully
decorated bridges. In the middle was a
handsome sitting room, furnished with
chairs, ottomans, sofas, mirrors, pictures,
clocks and chandeliers. On one, side OF
this room was the dinning room and on
the other the Emperor's study. In the
middle of the dinning room there was
table, capable of being extended or con-
tracted at pleasure, with easy, chairs
placed parallel to the sides of the car
riage. The Emperor's study contained
an elegant writing table, q clock, In the
STYLE of the renaissance, thermometer,
a barometer and telegraph apparatus,
by means of which, telegraphic commu-
nication was established with the apart
ments of the various Court officials trav-
cling with His Majesty. Next to the
study was the bed room of the Emperor
and Empress, with two beds placed
transyersely against the sides of the car
riage. Two dressing rooms were at
tatthed to the bed room. The remain
ing carriages consisted of kitchen, a
wine cellar and the apartments Of the
Emperor's suite. There was also con-
servatory filled with the choicest flowers
: