The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-04

posal. After Strengthening the limbs that
were drawn slightly up, they removed his
long black queue from the coils in which he
had worn it around his head and laid it over
his shoulder down by his side, where it
reached to his feet. Then they folded his
hands across his breast. Two small Chinese
coins, or cash, were then laid on his bed,
one underneath his pillow. They were the
round copper or brass tokens, with square
holes in the middle, made for the purpose
OF stringing them like beads, and were of
trihing value, but would be sufficient to
pay his travelling expenses on the long
journey he had begun.
PREPARING THE BODY
Half dozen Of the little bowls of sand
made to hold joss sticks were then placed
around his head and his feet, and six joss
sticks at time six being sacred number)
were stuck in each bowl and burned. AS
fast as they were burned out they were re-
placed by as many more, and all night long
the burning was kept up until the air was
thick and heavy with the incense-like
smoke
While some were doing this others of his
friends were burning prayer papers. These
are small square sheets of paper of a red,
gold, silver or white color, covered with
prayers and verses from the sacred poets,
printed in black or gold hieroglyphics.
were scattered in handfuls around the room
and over the furniture, and great numbers
of them were thrown out of the door and
windows. The meaning of these ceremo-
MES, all done solemnly, was explained to be
desire to make the dead mans journey to
heaven and his life hereafter happier and
better by frightening away evil spirits and
attracting good spirits.
THE WAKE
AS the morning wore on luncheon was
procured by his friends and spread on a
table in the room, when all who remained
for any time took sparing refreshments. 1t
was simple enough repast of cold food of
different kinds and of various strong
liquors. From hour to hour scores Of
friends and acquaintance came in to pay a
tribute of respect to his memory and to
take leave of him. AS each man entered he
stopped on the threshold and twining his
fingers together, gravely shook hands with
himself, bowling meantime twice or thrice
gracefully and profoundly, but without
uttering word. Then advancing to the
bedside with decorous slowness each gazed
upon the corpse solemnly, bowed low again
and said few words in Chinese, which an
interpreter said were a farewell speech
Some of the more religious uttered short
prayers while gazing on the still face, and
nearly all left small presents in the corner
of the room, evidently as tokens of esteem,
similar to the flowers we spread over the
collins of our friends.
THE EXECUTOR.
Without haste and without delay a
grave, elderly Chinaman began to make an
inventory of all the property the dead man
left. He was the cousin in charge, and ac-
cordingto Chinese custom, he was acting
the part of tie executor. He was Song All
Hee, and is the head of the Song family in
New York. and what he did was part of
the duty devolving upon him every time a
member of the family dies The proceeds
of the property of which he is now in
charge, will go back to China to the dead
mans next of kin, his father and his
mother.
Toward noon an Irish undertaken arrived
with a handsome coffin. 1t is a curious
thing that, although the Irish as a race do
not reciprocate the feeling, the Chinese are
more attracted by the Irish than by any
other people, When they marry IN this
country, as many of them do, they almost
always take Irish wives, and in doing bust
ness with Caucasians, they seem greatly to
prefer the Irish
The corpse was then washed and dressed
in an ordinary Chinese costume of hand
some materials, and was placed in the coffin.
This was put on rests in the middle of the
room and covered with a pail, after the
undertakers usual custom, and left by him
until he should call to take it away for
burial.
Around the coffin and on the lid were
placed several bowls of sand and joss sticks,
already described, and a dozen or more
large scarlet candles attached to long BAN
boo sticks curiously carved and wrought,
and looking like so many sky rockets.
On the mantel piece was placed a large
bronze bowl, almost vase, in which was a
quantity of sandal wood. This was ignited
and gave off an odorous blue smoke, which,
mingling with the perfume from the joss
sticks, made the air heavy. Other perfumes
in liquid form were sprinkled and poured
around by a dozen or more friends of the
dead man.
The mortal remains of Hong Toi were
buried with ceremonies as curious as those
at his deathbed. After time the bones
will be taken back to the dead mans an
cestral home and laid beside those of his
forefathers.