Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-01-09

though this nation -is perhaps tho worst
In this recpect, there are others where this
form Of worship il extensively carried ON.
Very frequently, the bodies Of the victims
are eaten, but In many cases, the unfor-
tunate wretches are butchered, simply
that their blood may be offered to the
hideous images that stand In the temple
Enclosures. In India. the pagan native
deems himself peculiarly happy IL he can
die on or near the sacred river. Before
the days of British control. the dying
were carried by their friends to the banks
of the river and laid in the water. Fro
quently they were taken out in boats to
the middle Of the river, and then thrown
over to drown. These practices were in
great measure stopped by British author
ity, but in secluded places they are said
to be still carried on, though to a neces-
sarily limited extent. Burning the dead
in India has never been interfered with
by the Government, though the suffice,
or burning widows, on the funeral pyres
of their husbands, was long ago abolished
by the interposition of law.
Perhaps the most peculiar burial rites
are those of the Chinese, who, in their
funerals, are as odd as in most of their
other customs. A Chinese funeral is man
devil, who Is understood to lie in wait
N, ar the residence of the defunct Celes-
tial for the purpose of carrying off his
soul. Just before the departure of the
funeral cortege from the house n con-
siderable quantity of firecrackers Is set off
in front Of the residence, together with
peculiar variety of smoky pyr0technics,
and under cover of the smoke thus made
the bier is raised and the carriers leave
the house in q smart trot. They go up
the street short distance, then suddenly
turn into cross street or alley and stop
and yell, more fireworks are burned, and
after pause Of few moments the fun
eral march, or rather trOt, is resumed.
lsunning, turning short. and hating, to-
gether with fireworks and yelling, finally
bring the cortege to the place of burial,
but the cemetery is never entered through
the gate, but through gap in the hedge
or fence or hole in the wall, and, after
more fireworks and yelling, the body is
finally inferred. The cause of this singu-
lar procedure is this. 1t is well under
stood that the devil, although in some
respects shrewd, cannot see very well,
nor can he turn without great deal of
difficulty, his joints and muscles being SO
arranged that while he can travel like Il
race horse as long as he goes in a straight
line good deal of time and effort is
necessary when he wants to turn cor
ner. So the fireworks are let off ut the
house III order to blind him, and when the
smoke IS sufficiently dense Ia obfust ate
his vision the procession starts, leaving
him watching at the door. OF course. i'll
4 little while he discovers how he has
been tricked and starts after it on run,
but when the first corner is turned he il
unable to stop, and so shoots on ahead.
The same bad luck attends him for sever
nj turns, and after repeated experiences
Of this kind he gives up the hunt in dis
gust, goes on to the cemetery and sits
down at the gate to await his prey. Right
here the Celestials are too smart for him,
and. by avoiding the gate, always manage
10 have the burial over before he finds
ont what is going on. 1t may seem strange
that the Old Boy does not learn better,
and considering the fact that several
millions of the Acknowledged are annually
spirited out of his reach by the same
means, it really seems that he ought to
he aware of the means adopted to deceive
him. but. as Chinese proverbial lore ex-
presses it. 'the devil never learns by ex-
perience," which is full explanation of
the whole situation. The same contempt
of the devils stupidity is seen in a pecu-
linr burial custom among some of our
aboriginal tribes of Indians. who former
" elevated the bodies of their dead on
poles from belief that the eyes of the
evil one were so placed in his head that he
looked always downward, and, of course,
the bodies being above him, he might pass
under and never see them. In all heath
en- NEUROLOGICAL lore, though many pecu-
liar superstitions are found, the origin
of which is lost in antiquity, there is per-
haps nothing more curious than these
methods by which Chinese and the Amer
lean Indians cheat the enemy of mankind.