has come for Christian women to arise in their power and forever cast aside this heathen custom which we have inherited from the dark and hopeless past.
The manner of preparation for the funeral will depend on the financial condition of the parties concerned. In many cases the body is wrapped in straw matting, securely bound and tied, and then buried without a coffin; though when able to afford it, a plain coffin of pine planks is used. The time of the funeral will be decided by calling a sorcerer, who will select a lucky day and state the very hour when the burial shall take place. Among the high classes it is usually at night that the funeral takes place. I have not been able to learn any reason for this, unless it is from the fact that the scene can be made more spectacular at night than in the day. The bier on which the body is carried is made of a framework of wood, painted in all the colors of the rainbow, with green and red predominating. This is draped in fancy-colored silks and covered over with a canopy suspended from upright sticks fastened in the four corners. On different parts of the bier are carved and painted hideous faces, for the purpose of frightening off any evil spirit that might think of venturing too near. The bier is placed on two long poles which have shorter transverse poles under them, to which are fastened straps or ropes, which rest on the shoulders of the bearers and are readily adjusted to the different heights of the men. The number of bearers will vary with the wealth of the family. Anywhere from two to thirty or more men are employed. It makes no difference
