The free citizen. (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-10-09
Funeral Rites of an African of Rank.

y correspondent of the London Times
gives the following vivid description of
the scenes which attend the death of !,
c:bocecr," or man of rank, in Ashantcc:
Well, Immediately after demise, the
body of Il caboccer is washed, anointeil
with sweet oils and grease, and spIinklctl
with gold-dust. The oils and grease
cause the gold-dust to stick to the corpse,
which being black, throws off the bright
color OF the gold to perfection. The
beard is trimmed into knots, and upon
each knot are tied small beads of glass
and thin particles of gold. The Asian
tees, you perceive, are us dainty in the
decoration Of the beads of their dead as
the Assyrian dandics were of their own
when living. In cloth of costly silk
embroidered damask, or in velvet
or i'll other rich garments, the
body is dressed and ornamcnted with
armlcts and necklaces of gold and silver.
Very ten pure Jumps of unwrought mug
gets of gold, bored through and through,
are strung upon Il piece of hcmpcn string
and twisted round the torearms in the
form of bracelets. Thus gayly bcdizcncd
and performed and clcanscd the body is
placed upon chair in sitting attitude,
or is shown recumbcnt upon a bed.
trimmed with gaudy drapcry. When
this combined rite of purification and
garniturc has been completed the rcla-
tions assemble and begin to dance and
sing. While the relations and friends
are making merry a fctishman, or priest,
is led slowly into the festive throng, and
the female slaves of the dead caboceer
are brought before him. After the utter
ancc OF various incantations he pretends
that the fetish has denoted, by means of
his mediation, n certain slave for election
to follow her master to the next world :;
but need not be a much trouble to
suggest to you that the members of the
family always decide beforehand among
themselves which unfortunate wretch
shall accompany the deceased chief. Be-
ing chosen, and by the choice condemned
to die, the slave is stripped naked.
Around her neck a wisp of hay is wound
and her arms are rudely pinioned with a
rope of straw. She is now roughly
dragged :: second time to the presence of
the tctishman, who recommends her, in a.
speech OF blasphcmous rhodomontades
and rhetorical parade, to serve her
master dutifully through the mazes of
the unknown sphere to which he has
been summoned on journey. Durihg
the delivery of the portentous exhort;i-
tion he is busily employed in daubins Il
whitc-colored earth over the face of the
weeping slave; and when theatlnIoilitory
harangue has been exhausted he strikes
her severely with his open palm upon
either cheek. In bcnightcd zeal the com
pany snatch up the saccrdotal cue. They
strive to rival one another in re,catinr
the assault with the harshest violence,
and in dealing the kecnest pain on her
nude and trembling person.
the eNccutlOncrS, moreover, are blessed
and the congregated band of caboceers
manifest their profound respect by raising
the foot of each exccutioner with both
hands and by rubbing the sole upon the
crown OF their heads. The natives of the
Gala coast have Il loose conception Of
state OF .2urgatory or probation, and en-
t"rtaln the idea that the soul of the dead
wandcrs unrcstingiy for many yearsubo:
the world, and requires servant for the
performance of menial duties in his long
and ceasclcss wandcrings. Hence comes
the custom of killing slave at the death
of a cabocecr, tor n cabocccr may not draw
water, nor new wood, nor cook food.
Having been removed by dint of cuffs
or manual force from the sight of the fc-
tishman, the slave is hurried to wooden
box, into which the carcass of the cabo
cccr will eventually be squeezed. Along
the lid of the box the slave is stretched
upon her stomach, and her feet and head
are graspcd by two cXecutioncrs, so that
her struggles may be subject to control.
\ friend of the dead cabocccr approaches
the prostratc creature and slashes her
with sword just below the right sloul-
dcr-blade. Catching the blood that flows
from the wound, he smcars the box.
When a s,ltficiency of blood has been
drawn for this purpose she is lifted from
the lid, and is rcviled, struck and covered
with spittlc by the bystandcrs. All the
while she uttcrs the loudcst and most
grievors lamentations; and the louder
and more grievous they are, the more ac-
ceptable do the torturers deem the sacri
ticial gratuity to the dead caboccer. She
is then driven to the spot where she is to
be slain. When the head has been cut
off the heart is plucked out through an
opening in the back. An executioner re-
ceivcs the head with yells and frantic
signs of JOY, and runs with it through the
town. Savagcly and furiously he tosses
il to the ground and kicks it like a ball
before him, snatchcs it up in his flight,
spits upon it, filings it into the air, catches
it in its descent, or, permitting it to drop
heavily, kicks it again and again. The
body is never buried, but is spurned aside
to be eaten by wild beasts or yuliurcs.