St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1867-08-09
4 Funeral i'm the Holly Land.

tnus describes funeral near Jerlcho:
Our tents are pitched near the village
burial place, and Just as We arrive ma
tives are engaged in committing one OF
their number TO his mother dust. We
dismount and draw near TO witness the
ceremonies of an Arab funeral Two
men are digging the grave, and probably
twenty Others standing around giving
directions, sometimes in loud and al
most querulous voice: little way of
the corpse lies wrapped up in a white
muslin shroud, tied at the head and feet;
and not far from this sit probably fifty
women on the ground, some bemoaning
in loud voice, while Others seem TO he
comforting them. Occasionally ten or a
dozen of the younger women form ring
and dance around another-pnobably a
sister of the deceased-uttering mean-
while n dolorous song.
In the digging Of the grave, we notice
no less than SIX human skulls, with n
corresponding number of other bones of
the body. thrown out among the dirt at
the side of the grave.
When all is ready, several men pick
up the body and carry il to the grave,
in which they lay it upon IFS side, with
the face turned toward Mecca. Stones
are then fitted in 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 foot,
scrapeS in some dirt until the hole Is filled
up. Stones are SET at the head and foot,
upon which one of the men pours a little
powder, and rubs ii with spittle and his
finger until black mark Is left upon
each. The significance of this we DO
not understand, though il doubtless
means something. The men keep up a
sort of chant while all this Is being done,
and, in conclusion, all the men approach
and salute two of the men present. prob
ably brothers OF the deceased, 10y pressing
their own foreheads against those Of the
brothers. twice in succession. The wo-
men. during the burial. continue seated
ON the ground, some distance off. and al
no time approach 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 the
foot OF the grave, and with uplifted
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 TO our ewes
Miserably poor and degraded as she i,
she still loved her boy, and bemoaned
his loss with all OF, mothers love.
While standing near the grave as the
grave diggers are doing their work. some
ask Us for bucksheesh and others for to-
baoco. We give of both-of the latter
all we have in our pouch. and think
nothing more of ii; but when We Get
back 10 our tents and feel IN our side
coat pocket for our rubber tobacco-pouch
and handkerchief. find them both miss
ing. Not content with what we had
given them, these raScals had stolen both
our tObacco-pouch and handkerchief
while We were standing among them Al
the grave side-thus illustrating in our
own case what Christ had said of the
man who went down TO Jericho and fell
among thieves Our conclusions are
that the Jerichoians 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 reported Of that
man that be Was attending a funeral ii
the time he was robbed.