, 1874-05-24
CREMATION.
How 1t IL Performed In siau1,

How 1t IL Performed In Siam,
among tee Sfamese, burmese, Calnboiiaus,
Peguans. people Of Laos aud all tho aurround-
ing nations, the dead are not buried. unless tho
suxsiTo7s ase too poor or too parsimon;ous to
pay the prieste fees for burning; and such c.a.a
very rarely occur. Hence arises the Strange an
oInay 60 often noted By foreign tourists that il
lands teemiug With q population moro dsusa
sban any othor portion OF our globe so serg fou
burial places OF The Chinese, the stnall, unpr,~
tending enclosure that marks the last res.sps-
place Of European traveler or missionary, AID
the occasional prlcstly psso:!a or gorgeous na,s~
soleum OF some Mus6alman rajah, ono might
suppose that the tyrant Death had been exor-
ciscd from those sunny lands, instead of lurking
unseen amid the perennial veYdura and ano.s
the petals Of every fragrant flower.
During residence OF several years in Siam,
neither aaw nor heard OF single burial in that
country, nor did ! meet with more than three
Slameso toInbs- They were the s'Tombs OF
Three kin8s,'' said to be centuries old. and all
that could learn Of their history was that bo-
neath those gorgeous monuments OF black gran
ite, exquislte1y cheeled and adorned with mo.
saics in gold. silver, copper, ebony, and iSory,
reposed the ashes OF the three famous warrior
kings, VINO had ordered tho bodies to be buried
instead OF burned, in order that the siagu-
lnrity OF tho circumstance might Keep
the memory Of their virtues and bravery ever
freshin the hearts Of their subjects. Burning IL
now, and has been Tor centuries, the universal
custom IN slara-.-pseferred, it IL supposed. to-
cause OF tho facility it Affords Tor removing tha
pEecions dust OF the lo1ed and lost. In o.I
aEistocratic houses have seen Arranged in tho
family receptacle MASSIVE golden urns, contain
ing the ashes OF eight, ten, or twelve generations
OF ancestors; and these are cherished ea pre-
cious heirloons to dcscend through the eldos3
maic branch
The time, expensc, and character Of burning
depend mainly On the rank and wealth Of ts,
formed by the priests, and always within the pro-
clnc.s OF o temple Tho only exception il il
seasons Of epideInics or when tho land is laid
waste by famine. Among the better Classes tla
dead body is laid unmnti4ated, ave by
coffin, mud it is more or 1oss carefully
embalmed, according to tho time it Is to
bo kept. Il the deceased belonged TO private
family Of moderate means, the burning takes
p'nco from four to si1 days after death; il ho
was woai:h7, but not high-born, the body may DO
kept month, but never longer; while tle re-
NUNS Of a noble lie in state from two to six
mouths, according to his rank :; and for nlenl-
boro Of the royal family 3 still loueer, period
burning. But "hsteTer the interval.
the body must Eo in state, and tha
relatives make daily prosttations, prayers. aud
offerings during tue whole time, neseechlng tho
departed spirit to return to lts dlsconEolAto
friends. When the time for the funeral hea ar
rived The body is laid in receptacle Oh the sum-
NIT OF d stately Pyramid the form sau
material OF which Indicate the wealth s4d
gilded, and tho receptacle Hnad with Liates
OF solid gold vixen then the body has belonged
| to one Of royal lineage and vell-hlled coi1ers-
The last il quite rs essential as the nrst to
gorgeous Oriental funeral, since for rank With
out money M East Indian las ever the most
| profound contempt Both 1r4uHiteB wero
| fortunately united in tho person OF tho queen
| mother Of King Prs -Hang kfau, the old usurror
| the accc1sion Of the royal brothc1s who died in
/ 1868. 1t iho funeral Of this cscd Queen tharo
| Was aucn display OF Oriental
maguidceuce rs rarely falls to the 10 OF West
| ern eyes to witness. The enealned body lay IN
/ tho myrrh, frenkncensc, and aromatic oils utel
in its preparation cost upward OF ~ 900, aad tho
| pofdan nTre about SS0. .DOo The hanginga Tere
! of the richeat silks and vofvets, trimmed with
hnllion friuge and costly lace, and the
| wranpnzs Of the body OF pure Ehito silk.
anbroldered with pearls and precious stones.
! Incredible Quantities Of massive jasvalry
deckea the snrunkan corpse, and diadem OF
plittariur Gems casts its prlsmato radiance oyes
| the vitherea features Iiny golden lamp5, fed
| with rerfumed oil, burned day and night azonna
| the pyre, while every portion OF the vast eaon
vas decosated with rare aad beautiful hoWeru, nr-
ranged in I'll the various fof1as Of croWns, seep-
tres' temples, angels, birds, lanterns, wreatba,
! and arches, till Flora herself mlgls hAye "on~
/ tered at the boundlesB RESOURCES Of her donair
Day and night musical instruments were plaSeu,
dirgea wniied forth, and IEostrstsors perpetoaAly
performed while twice every t1a7 tho King, d.
tcudod By his whole court. made offerings to
the departed spirit boat his breast, tore his hair,
aud declared life ''utterly uncomfortable withous
| the boloYec oue." All this Was kept up fur
eight months and then the scaao changed to o:io
Of festivty For thirty days. during most OF which,
time was presaDt, there va4 succession o. ..
lceves, concerts, and theatrlcala, With feata OF
| iuegIery, operas, md fireworks; aud then tho
emblained body, surrounded by perfumes aud
! tipY fagots Of sandGl-sgood was consumed by
ire, and the ashes collected BY tho high priest
or bis deputy in golden uru, aud depositea
With other relica Of Royalty, IN the klnS
| palace. The funeral coat the nation aboht
| $5OO 600.
At all funerals choice flowers. especially tubo-
| roaes, the golden blossoms Of tho clustering
henna, Ar and tho sTeet~sccnted daak-mali. a:s
| profuyey used, and there is constantly crowl
Of we'll dressed people, for Orientals arc alwa:s
| at leisure, and always in mood to enjoy eight
saalng. When tbs pileis 10 be ignited, lighted
nnpers are plentifuliy dstribat6d By tha prlcsta,
and nnnlied by al Who are near enough to reach
The pyramid. Rejoicing and music are kept mp
during tho burning, to celebfate the happy lib
| GRAFTON of the spirit OF tic aoceaaed.
There is ono other ceremony connected with
the incineration OF the body at all Booddhist,o
funerals that must not neglect to mention.