Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1889-10-03
A GuATEMALAN FUNERAL.
some of the Peculiar Customs of Contra
American Caribs.

tonne Of the Peculiar Customs of Central
American Caribs.
/ heard jingle OF bells this after
noon, and. supposing a fire hail broken
out, was about to start for the scene
of the conhagration, when the land
lady informed me that it was only
funeral and said it would pass the
house. A few minutes later, hearing
sort of wild music, mingled with
shouts and laughter. 1 ran to the door
Just in time to see couple of half
drunk en- men, shoeless and hatless,
coming along at q brisk pace, bear
ing a coffin on their shoulders. 1t
was simply rough box wrapped in a
piece of striped calico, and swayed
from side to side as the bearers rolled
along. Following was woman, the
widow, / was told. carrying rude cross
covered with flowers and laughing i'm
moderately. Next to the hilarious
chief mourner came the band, con-
sisting of one accordion, two fddles, a
tin horn and drum. all run to their
full capacity.
Next came mixed crowd of men,
women and children The men were
attired in the usual costume of the
country, pair of cotton drawers and
| shirt, worn outside. The women wore
single garment, sleeveless and low
necked, coming barely to the knees.
The children were arrayed in their in
| nocence only. AL were smoking,
laughing, or dancing by turns. Alto
| gether il was the most cheerful funeral
| | had ever Witnessed.
| had returned to the table when my
attention was once moro called to the
street by chorus of wild yells and
uproari Gus merriment. Stepping out
/ discovered the cause. One of the
bearers had stumbled and fallen,
throwing the coffin to the ground with
sech force that one side was partly
broken out exposing one arm and O
CHASTITY hand half closed. But 1t was
contented, we'll behaved corpse. and
took the whole thing as joke. Pres
emily the bearm' staggered to his feet
the coffin was replaced. and the pro-
cession moved me rrily on.
The landlord, however, insists this
was very tame affair. and assures
me that the burial services of the rich
are very much liveIier In such cases
the body is dressed up in the bes
shirt the estate affords. 1t is ther
carefully tied in chair in an uprigh
position, and thus carried to tn,
graveyard, while the whole towr
turns out to do him honor by dis
charging crackers, rockets and ;
variety of native re-works, while tn,
drinking is general and the JOY un
bounded! hope to be able to recor'
a first-class affair soon. The Owne
of three huts and a pair Of mules il
quite low, and we are waiting patient
ly for him to die. The natives als'
exhibit good deal of anxiety, ant
every little while one OF them will stea
up to the window to note progress ant
1 report to the eager crowd.
: As usual in times OF great publ
!, excitement the news is very contra
;, dictory. A little while ago it was an
s nounccd that he was almost gone.
/. confused murmur ran through the as
+ sembly and an occasional shout, wit
j. random cracker or two, was heard
d The next report, however, was mos
/. discouraging. The watcher was sec
d fleeing as for his life and the sick ma
J. following close in his wake with hug
n club. The last bulletin was more fa
IS vorable, the doctor. having arrive
|. with his whole stock in trade, an
% those who are posted predict that tn
o sick man will be ready for burial Il
te morrow.
N These are the Caribs, the direct d.
S, scendants of those wild, fierce tribe
N discovered by Columbus on his frs
W voyage and found inhabiting tn
ot southern islands of the West Indies
k differing entirely in appearance. GU
le toms and disposition from the SUI
SO rounding nations, to whom they wei
70 constant terror.-Guatemala Co
n Pittsburgh Post.