The daily Alaskan., 1913-01-02


 monies attending the disposal Of the dead in different parts of the world, and. following the natural order ot things, the more primitive the nation the more primitive its methods. The rudest mode now prevalent s that of simply leaving Che body exposed, but the ways of exposure vary consider. ably Some wandering tribes act on the maxim. Where the tree fails. there let it lle.- and. leaving the dead behind. move their camp to pastures new. The Wanyamwesi, however, carry their dead Into the forest to be de voured by beats of prey. while some of the tribes of Guinea throw the corpse into the sea.
 The KamchadoIes keep dogs to con. sume their dead. under the strange im- pression that those who are dev0ured by dogs will be the masters Of due dogs in the world beyond The Par sees. although a cultured nation, place their dead in a round tower. called a tower Of science. and the vuitures who make such towers their habltnti0u finish the work In Da- honey It was been stated thot a per. son whose body has been struck by lightning is hacked Co pleces and de youred by the priests
 Burial. or course. has many dif- ferent forms the simplest Of which is perhaps the pillug of stones or thorns over tho body Co keep of wild beasts Some tribes bury their chil dren by Che roadside. so that their souls may enter into the bodies of the pas sersby. Burial in the earth is an ear Her custom than that Of cremation, embalmlng. or drying the body by sus- pending t from tree and many nations have more than one custom Cor instance. merely burying thcll women, while the men arc vrubalmed or dried
 An instance of several customs be- ing In common use ln one tribe ls Co ue seen among Che KaImucks They either expose. bury, burn, throw the body Into the water, pile over it a heap of stones or build a hut over G.. doing whatever the priest considers Co he the most suitable The position Of the body also varies considerably, but as a general rule the bead is iaid either Co the east or Co the west The Bon EOS. however. are nn exception, for they bury the women with the face to the south. and the men with the face to the north
 Among the primitive nations the expressions of grief at the loss of the deceased, grief not uutiuged with fear of him In bis new state. and vent in self inflicted tortures and other Ire mendously exaggerated expressions Of woe. The inhabitants Of New Zealand the abOrigines that ls-belaub them selves with pigment and wound them selves with broken shells. The Ha- walians go stiIl further. knocking out their teeth and cutting on an ear or finger joint. while. when Hawaii was under the rude of monarchs. at the kings death the nation at large feign- ca madness through grief. and this was the signal for unbridied license of every description
 No nation is there, as a whole. which believes that the soul does not con tinue to exist after lt leaves the body, and the origin of many funeral rites Is the belief that death means the souls transition from one state Co an- other and that it is necessary Co enter tain the soul on the Journey; hence it Is that wives. servants. horses. money, weapons. musical instruments. meat and drink are among the things buried with the body The iaplauders sup ply the corpse with Hint steel and tin- der wherewith Co obtain light hy the way, and the Clouds even place tooth picks in the grave
 Rather a touching custom is prcva l lent among the Greeulanders, for on the death of a chlld they Jury a dog with lt to guide it. cert8in that a dog VIII dnd hIs way anywhere. The Rus sians have a custom of placing a paper passport in the hand of the deceased to be shown to Peter at the gate of heaven. while at one time in Wales "sln eaters" were employed. wbo by eating a loaf of bread over the dead body took upon themselves the burden | of the deCeased's sins.
 It would seem that Che fear of being haunted by the ghost of the departed has had no small effect upon many Of the rites pracHced for the Egyptians turn the body round and round 60 az to confuse the spirits idea of direc ton. while the peasants Of Branden- burg pour a pail of water after the corpse to prevent Its return, and the aborigines of Australia remove the nails of the dead. s0 that they may not scratch their way out Of the grave. London Globe.