This proceeding seemed even more comical than the
first. After much exertion, they seated themselves round in a ring,
drank toddy, and smoked tobacco.

On the following morning, both men and women repeated their visit.
The former, however, did not enter the house; they lit a fire and
prepared a plain meal. As often as a party of women came, one of
the men went to the house-door and announced them, upon which the
principal mourner came out of the house to receive them. She threw
herself with such violence on the ground before them, that I thought
she would not be able to rise up again; the women struck themselves
with their fists once on their breasts, and then drew their hands to
their heads. The widow raised herself in the meantime, threw
herself impetuously round the necks of each of the women, throwing,
at the same time, her head-dress over the head of her consoler, and
both endeavoured to out-do each other in howling. All these
evolutions were very rapidly performed; a dozen embraces were gone
through in a moment. After the reception, they went into the house
and continued howling at intervals. It was not until sun-set that
all was still, and a supper concluded the whole affair. The women
ate in the house--the men in the open air.

Funerals and marriages always cost the Hindoos a great deal. The
one here described was that of a woman of the poorer class.
Nevertheless, it is considered essential that there should be no
want of toddy during two days, or of provisions for meals, at which
there are an abundance of guests. In addition to this, there is the
wood, which also costs a considerable sum, even when it is only
common wood. The rich, who use on such occasions the most costly
wood, frequently pay more than a thousand rupees (100 pounds).

I once met the funeral procession of a Hindoo child. It lay upon a
cushion, covered with a white sheet, and was strewed with fresh and
beautiful flowers. A man carried it on both his arms as gently and
carefully as if it was sleeping. In this instance, also, there were
only men present.

The Hindoos have no particular festival-day in the week, but
festivals at certain times, which last for some days. I was present
at one of these during my stay, Warusche-Parupu, the New-Year's
festival, which took place on the 11th of April. It was a kind of
fast-night celebration. The principal amusement consisted in
throwing yellow, brown, and red colours over each other