The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1883-06-30


public ObScquiCS OF the deceased, on the
special occasion | refer to. were com
mcnced by Il procession issuing from
the house on the mission known as
buying the water whcrcwith to wash .
the body of the deceased. First came |
the musician" (Sayr the word); then .
a priest, wearing a long robe of a dark T
red color and 4 sort of college cap; and .
lastly, the whitr-clad mourners. On the .
mainland, the procession would prob /
ably have repaired to the nearest river,
well, or even the wet ditch of the city, |
for the water; but these antiquated CON /
Vcnicnces being scarce in Hong-Kong. /
the Sorrowful cortege ON this occasion |
was compelled to wcnd its steps to the I
Government hydrant at the end of the |
street! The leading actor in this ccrc-
mony of ''buying the water was, as
usual, the eldest son of the deceased, a
boy about seven or eight years of age
Notwithstanding his youth, however, his
part was performed with an cNactncsS
that must have resulted from a consider
able amount of previous instruction.
Bearing in his hand awand covered with
white indentcd paper, supported on
each side by a female relative, and bend
ing nearly double in token of his intense
grief, this young scion of the deceased
proceeded slowly and gravely in the di-
rection of the hydrant, the "band'
meanwhile doing their best with the
toms-toms and that close imitation of
the Scotch bagpipe, the Chinese pipe.
Arrived at the hydrant, the party knelt
around that useful apparatus; the
musicians redoublcd their eXertions,
and the priest his prayers; more incense
/ was burned and Il tremendous burst of
wailing and lamentation went up from
the mourners. While these perform
anceS were in operation, the youth to
whom | have Just referred drew, with
requisite prostrations and solemnity,
basin Of water from the hydrant, and
then scattered few coins on the ground
by way of payment. 1t is essential in
this ceremony that the water should be
paid for. The procession thereafter re-
turned to the house, where doubtless
the body of the deceased was washed by
the boy, in compliance with the custom
Of his country.
After the body of the deceased !. is
the best clothes which belonged to the
man in his lifetime, hat being placed
on his head. a fan in his hand, and shoes
on his feet, the idea being that he Will
| be clothed in these habiliments IN
Elysium, and consequently that he must
appear there as a respectable ana
: suneriOr member of society. At inter-
, walls during these and subsequent cere-
4 monies, oilt and silvcrcd paper in the
f shane of coin and sycee bars is burned
, in the belief that it will also pass into
e The invisible world, where it will be re
: coined into solid cash; and clothes
c sedan-chairs, furniture, butfalocs an'
5 horses, made of paper, are transferred
L on the same principle to the ''bctte
o land' for the benefit OF the dead.
): The body was now brought through
II the window and placed in the coffin OF
d the stage at the top OF the temporar
Is wooden structure. 1t is the practic
d with the richer Chinese to keep til
o. rot1ined bodies of their relatives in thei
rs houses for long periods, sometimes 10
n years. This custom was not 1oiloWc
We on this occasion, for the funeral too
e. place Immediately after the ceremon
MT of .buving the water. Large sums
h. money are expended on collins by I'll
d. .celeStials," and . dutiful son Will Sc
of that his parents are provided with the'
sc melancholy recSlta'iJI> ati'' Tbo,1 a,
NJ years oGlore ILcl. 49,, ti,.n ipcb
OF made OF heaVy p9"l's lJ"i " " t tbo nnt
ne IN th1ckleSS an" ioV,,'' inva,shIv tal
l0ihts, am! 9P!,," aa,an,. nf Tho nG1ish,
re Ille lpl,.,' ~ a,,' Ins;ja tbcv annear
'aI trunk oi Nc f ,,,,,tor. tba ioir
III be liliGo WIN soi 1a va MN simiI
oc- substance, but small hole Is drill
TO through 'i.e oo, ~ ln " channel of
I'VE deceased 50 as ~ go f,,. .,o .';ritS
yer cape anu ei,'i NJ 80 o snno ditficlItv
u'A II WIZ a., q WT' bod, down The Ste
sl.i51.,,. frnr, tho window TO the ro;
on 1ootW"y lf3lh inc G ,n,iI occomnlisI
o9, 'iie '"r ,;., m,'' anid:t the renew
u WITHOUT i4 ~ ,h ,,,,nrninr.women.
rev W %;i - - th o' NINE and the beIabor
en- silIIcN1 " ','S i'l'N' ,,raitinr the arri
nteS OF 'nS 'olliI rin n mo street We're SO
llg" o ,,.oa n,v clahnrot"ly carved and LAWS
oc- twenty 'la3or'oT h:ir ~ constrncted'
the S G"ciaIv f"r use on such occasic
ton These chairs eonaiGfd meats n 1r"f,r
tine time h two tSxc ellen cooked sackingp
was Two or three altar-pleces' h e,l in1'Ia,
red with the name 3nd age Z 2b the nr aSs%n
the We're also s" tLe dernasrd T tablet