accompanies the funerals of the wealthy. I shall here try to give some idea of how a funeral is conducted among the middle-class people. The death of a father is more to be deplored than that of any other member of the family, and so the funeral will be more elaborate. In fact, young people and children could hardly be said to have a funeral. They are buried as soon after death as possible, and with as little ceremony as the case will admit. Not so with parents and older persons, who are kept from three to five days in the case of ordinary people; while distinguished persons and members of the royal family are kept from three to five months.
When a father dies, all the members of the family gather about the boy and begin to wail; not at once, but after waiting long enough for the spirit oi the dead to have departed, so it will not be disturbed by the mourners. This wailing is done according to fixed rules, and cannot be looked on as an outburst of grief and sorrow. The men of the family take their places according to age, rank, etc., on one side, and the women in the same order on the other side, and then the wailing begins, due preparations having been made by the men taking down their topknots and allowing their long hair to fall loosely about their head and shoulders. The voice is pitched to a high key, and the cry is "I-go! I-go! I-go! Eh-tek-ha-na?" The meaning of which, as nearly as it can be translated, is: "O! O! O! What shall I do?" This wailing is kept up for a certain time, some one has said fifteen minutes by the clock, and then all is quiet. I have witnessed the
