The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-11-13
Cremation In Alaska.

Rev. Sheldon Jackson, of this city,
synodical missionary of Colorado, New
Mexico, Utah and Montana, recently
made a visit to Alaska, and while there
saw many interesting things. He gives
an account of a visit made to a garden
owned by a Mr.. Davidson, of Fort
Wrangle.
At the upper end of Mr.. Davidson's s
garden he saw a white sheet stretched
between two poles and looking as if it
might be intended for a scare crow.
Upon inquiry he found that it contained
the ashes of a boy that was drowned
the week before. His friends had prom
ised Rev. Mr.. Young that it should
have a Christian burial; but during
Saturday night they took the body up
the beach, and early Sabbath morning
burned it, the charred wood still re-
naming.
Several large, dry sticks were laid
side by side upon the beach. Upon
these were placed the body of the boy.
Other sticks were piled over the body,
and the whole set on fire amid the walls
and superstitious incantations of hired
mourners.
In about an hour the body was con-
sumed. After the fire had cooled down,
the ashes were carefully gathered up,
and placed in a basket until a suitable
box could be carved for their perma-
nent preservation. When all was
ready, an old Indian woman, bowed
down with age and infirmities, took up
the basket and started for a pine tree,
which had previously been selected for
the purpose. She was followed by the
mourners and friends with bowed heads
and loud walls of sorrow. At the base
of the tree two poles. about eight feet
high, were driven into the ground two
feet apart. The basket containing the
ashes was tied between these poles, and
muslin bag, like Il large FELLOWSHIP,
pulled down over the poles and basket
and closed at the bottom. On the out
side of the sheet is sometimes rudely
painted face, through which the spirit
of the departed is supposed to look out
upon the bay.
Morning and evening the parents OF
the boy come out from their hut, and
turning their faces to the north utter
loud cries of distress. And this will be
kept up for months, for they have
never heard of the great Comforter,
who alone can comfort sorrowing hearts.
Those whose bodies are burned are
| SuppOSeu W Dt III tuc ucAt Woiiu,
and the others cold. They believe in
the transmigration of souls from one
body to another, but not to animals.
And the wish is often expressed that in
the next change they may be born into
this or that powerful family. The fu-
neral ceremonies of chiefs often las,
four days. If slaves are then sacrificed
it relieves their owners from work in
the next world. Dead slaves are often
cast into the sea. At the funeral OF
chiefs the tradition and history of the
tribe are rehearsed. If these ceremo
nies are not conducted properly, the
water of death swallows up the depart
ed soul, or it is lost in the forests. But
if conducted properly, the chief of the
gods speaks the word, and the water o.
death is small, and the soul is carried
to a place of rest or forgetfulness
Then after a long time it comes bacl
to some descendant on its sisters side
and lives another life. To such super
stitions these people are bound, body
and soul, and to rescue them from this
amelioratng and elevating their con
dition in this life, and presenting t.
them a glorious Immortality through
the crucified and risen Savior. is the
work of the Board of Home Missions
-DenUer Tribune.