New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-04-10

ante. wives and all, were hot for cremation.
and seemed to think they had stake in the
matter, the town authorities, although fearing
a broil with the priests, finally consented TO
let the Orentas fire away-in other WORDS, they
permitted the body Of the prince 10 DC burned.
Lest however, the public mind should get IN
famed, and religious zeal be kindicd, tney
were careful not to let a spark of informauoh
fly abroad as to what was Intended. Inc pyro
was built near the banks of the Arn0, on
spot just beyond the Cascine, and about Day
break the funeral ceremonies took place ID as
Indian manner as the circumstances wouid
allow, and in the presence of hundred or 80
of curious people who had, somehow, smoked
what was going on.
Everything went off uncommOnly well.
There seemed no difficulty in consuming the
body, and we believe no more fuel was USED
than would suffice to keep an ordinary ltaiiah
family in firing for a lifetime. The throwing
in of costly Spices which was done with
lavish hand, gave zest TO the occasion; but
fine enthusiasm of the crowd was more ex-
cited Nv the sacrifice of bales Of costly goods
-Dacca muslins and Indian rugs-to say moth
ing of the most stunning jewelry, chains OF
gold and ropes Of pearls, which were remorse-
| lessly tumbled into the flames when they were
at their hottest.
| Persons who prided themselves on their oh
! servatOn, thought that the shrieks OF tho
| wives took on an added shrillness at the sac
| rifce of so much dry goods, but they forebore
| to insist on this point when they learned that
| the sacrifice of these articles is made as mex
pensive as possible and that in point OF fact
the bales of goods used on these occasions are
as fictitious as the balls usually given III our
| courts of law.
In truth, the Orientals, who are not born
way down East for nothing, have, in the course
of several hundred centuries or so OF practice,
reduced the business of cremation to SYSTEM
and the result is that everything that can pos
sibly be bogus is as bogus as possible. The
corpse is supposed to be real, but that exceD-
ton made, the gentlemanly undertakers of tho
East furnish everything requisite for fune-
"ralsn at ss unreasonable rates as their Western
brethren in the trade The spices, the jew
elry. the muslins. and the carpets are the
cheap properties of these managers and they
are the originals of the empty wine-bottles
that lie so attractively in sawdust at our
vintners' doors, and of the wooden BLOCKS
covered with bits of the last sweet thing IN
carpets, in our carpet-shop windows. Unfor-
tunately, etiquette demands that the muSiln'
rags, and' jewelry should be actually burned.
and thus one Source Of prcc&9cs ,s lost to the
| Indian purveyor of funeral baked meats.
They cannot be sold over again, like our tea
leaves and coffee grounds; nor made over
again, like our cigar stumps; nor given over
again like our wedding presents; nor can they
do duty at several funerals on the same Day
~ the affecting floral tributes" SO much In
| vopue in cit- funerals, are sometimes econom-
icaIly made to do. But we don't doubt our
Indian brother gets his profit all the same.
We do not remember that any disagreeabie
consequences followed this singular affair IN
Florence. 1t produced of course some nos
discussions, religious zeal added fuel to the
flames, and no doubt in many leases even
pous friends grew so warm about itethat their
| friendship cooled. But it soon blew ovfr' anu
life in the little capital kept on its sunny way
as usual
"In drives about the gay Cascne,
Or walks II BObOlps duca bowers"