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

y correspondent Of the London Times
gives the following vivid description of
The scenes which attend the death of :,
"cab"cccr, or man of rank, in AShrntcc
We'll, immediately after demise, the
body of Il cahocccr is washed anointtL
with sweet oils and grease. and Sprinklrd
with gold-duSt The oils and grease
cause the gold-dust to stick to the corpse.
which being black. throws off the bri -lit
color of the gold t" perfection. The
beard is trimmed into knots, and upon
each knot are tied small beads of .rla<S
and thin PARTICLES Of gold The Asian
tees, YOU perceive. are rs dainty in the
decoration of the beads of their dead aS
the .ASsy:ian dandicS were of their own
when living. In cloth of costly silk
embroidered damaSk, or i'm velvet
or in other rich garments. the
body is dressed and oruamcntcd with
armlctS and necklaces of gold and silver
Very OF ten pure lumpso unwrouuht mug
gets of gold, bored through and through
are strung upon Il piece of hcnpcn string
and twisted round the tnrcarms i'm the
form of bracelets. Thus gaylv bcdizcncd
and performed and ccanscd the ho,v is
placed upon Il chair in sitting attitude,
Or is shown rccumbcnt upon Il bed
trimmed with gaudv drapcry. When
this combined rite of publication anil
%arniturc has been completed the rcll-
tionS assemble and hcgin to dance and
sing. While the relations and friends
are making merry Il ictisllman, or priest.
Is led slowly into the festive throne, and
the female slaves of the dead cabocccr
are brought before him. After the utter
:ncc of yurin,,s inc,n,,,;ons h, nr.,nnJ.
that the fetish has IrnntnJ Lv mr,n. ~
his mediation, a certain slayc inr election
to follow her master to the mex, world
but need no, he Il much troublr ~
suggest To YOU that the members of The
family ALWAYS decide hrt1rchand ,mnu,,
themselves which unfortunate wrrtrL
shall accompany the deceased chicf Hr-
ing chosen, and hv the choice condemned
To die the slave is strippcd naked
Around her neck a wisp of hay is wo,,nd
and her arms are rudclv pinioncd with a
rope OF straw. She is now rourhlv
dragged Il second time TO the presence of
the itti,hman, who recommends her I'M ,
speech of blasphcmuus rhodomontadcs
and rhetorical parade. to serve her
master dutiiullv through the macs Of
the unknown sphere to which he has
been summoned on a Journey, Duri,;r
the delivery of the nrtcntoi,s cvhmtn-
tion lc iS buSilv cmplovcd i'm d:ubiu,t -
white -colorcd earth over the face of the
weeping slave; and when the adnoni1or;..
haran~uc has been exhausted he strikes
her severely with his opcn palm upop
either cheek. In bcniehtcd zeal the com
pany snatch up the Saccrlotal cue. They
strive To rival orc another in repeating
the assault with the harShcSt violence,
and in dealing the kccncst pain on her
nude and trembling person
the cNccutioncrS, moreover, are blessed
and the congrcgatcd band of cabocccrs
manifest their profound respect by raising
the foot of each cXcculioncr with both
hands and by rubbing" the sole upon the
crown OF their heads. The natives ufthe
Gala coast have Il loose conception uf
state of ;;urgatOrv or probation and en-
t"rtain the idea that the soul of the dead
wandcrS unrcstinriv for many yrarsoho
the world. and rcuiIircs y servant fnr thr
performance of mcnial duties in his lonr
and ccasclcss w;ndrrjn~s Hence Comes
the custom of kiliinu = slave n, the Jr,,h
Of Il c:.bocccr, tora cabocccr NAV not draw
water, nor new wood, nor cook food.
Having been removed by dint of cuns
or manual force from the sight of the tc-
tishman, the slave is hurried to a wooden
box, into which the carcass of the cabo-
cccr will eventually he squeezed. Along
the lid OF the box the slave is stretched
upon her stomach, and her feet and head