The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-04-16
MOJxvE FUNERAL RITES.
Grief and Appetite Go Hand In Hand nj
These Ceremonies.

on the banks OF the lower Colorado,
among the gravel mesas and mesquite
covered valleys. live the Mojave Indians
having their commercial headquarters at
The Needles. Cal. famed as the hottest
place In the United States excepting Death
Valley. and their seat of learning sup
ported by the Government at Fort Mo-
iave, A. T. In Western Arizona. where
snow and ice are unknown. clothing Is
useless except for ornament, and the
mesquite tree bears all the food needed
to sustain life. We find the Mojave IN
dams to resemble in appearance ana
habits the negroes OF Central Africa eX-
cept I'm the particulars OF curly hair ana
thick lips, having the same scorn for the
restraints Of clothing. and the same pas
sionate foLdhcss fer brilliant piumage
and gaudy cosmetics. Peculiar are the
customs Of these benighted people, but
there is none more unique than the cere-
mony connected with their disposal or
their dead.
An Indian woman died recently at noon.
and we attended the funeral. four OF us.
7 he Mojavcs practice cremation, and the
cremating commences as soon as the
breath Is out Of the body. as witness the
fact that the woman died at noon and
was on the funeral pile at fifteen minutes
past Indeed, It is said that the mour-
/ ners are sometimes startled at seeing the
| dead come TO life again when the fire be-
! gins to grow fervent. Not many hicos.
/ as the white people are called, are ac-
] corded the privilege OF attending these
/ ceremonies. but we stand well win
! one OF the wise men Of the tribe, we
were invited TO be present. AS soon as
we could swallow our dinners we started
| for the place and were guided there by
! the wailings Of the friends of the depart
! ed consisting OF every man, woman ana
/ child present at the festivities. You can
/ see the reasOnablenesS Of my calling IL
/ by such a name when you are told that
| the affair concludes by the killing anu
eating Of all the horses OF the departed
and every one goes to his own hut feel
ing that he has enjoyed himself greatly.
The Moiaves believe in demonstrating
their feelings through the agency or the
mouth and limbs. and this woman being
| much beloved, the mOurners were many
/ and their grief could be heard a inle
away. If ever you have heard pack or
coyotes bowling forth their misery IN
| the middle Of the night, when they now
Z most artistically, you have this noise 10
a dot. "
Arriving at a place we found hole
dug in tho ground about ten feet In diam
ter and two feet deep, heaped fun OF
wood and surmountcd by the body or me
Diseased This was burning, and around
/ IL I'm picturesque attitudes were All the
friends trying to Guido each other IN eN-
CARNATIONS Of grief The head doctor
for the Mojaves have physicians stood
| by the side Of the genius who sIiffel
the fire. giving directions for the most
rapid destruction Of the body. which ne
had no doubt. with great skill assisted
I'm becoming n corpse. He thus cdITleu
his functions step further than the
physicians il civilized life.
one old fellow. who seemed to be me
minister. was standing within the circle
baranruine, the assembly, doubtless on
the many virtues Of the departed ana
when he seemed TO make an unusuaIiy
good point the mourners manifested thelr
annreciation by an increase in the force
OF their grOans 80
Finally the relatives and friends ave
the horses that were the property OF the
docaased and went home firmly believ-
ing that the dead womans spirit Is walk
ing untrOubled on Ghost Mountain
lust across the riyer-San Francisco
| ChrOuiclp