y have not for some time seen, they proceed straight to
the hut of some relative or intimate friend without bestowing even a
glance upon any others whom they may pass: having reached the hut the man
at once seats himself at the fire without taking the least notice of
anyone in it, whilst his wives crouch upon the earth at a respectful
distance behind him, keeping their eyes fixed upon the ground; solemn
silence now ensues, all countenances wear an unspeakable gloom and
gravity and all eyes are directed to the earth; in about ten minutes the
nearest blood relation of any individual who has died since the stranger
has visited his friends advances to him with a measured pace, and without
speaking seats himself cross-legged on his thighs, under which he places
his hands, at the same time pressing his breast to the stranger's; thus
seated they mournfully avert their faces from one another and preserve a
perfect silence; no single word or sign of recognition passes between
them, and after they have remained thus seated for several minutes the
native who had come to announce the death rises slowly and retires with
the same gravity with which he had approached; other males of the family
now successively approach the stranger, going through precisely the same
ceremonies, none of them venturing to interchange a single word with him.

This part of the ceremony having been completed, the nearest female
relative of the deceased approaches the stranger and, throwing herself
upon her knees before him, she embraces his knees with her left arm
whilst with the nails of her right hand she scratches her cheek and nose
until the blood drops from them, at the same time raising the most
piteous cries and lamentations. After a few minutes she rises and
approaches his wife and seats herself on the ground in front of her; the
two now encircle one another with their left arms, resting their heads on
each other's shoulders, whilst they scratch their faces with their right
hands and cry and wail in a tone which excites in the minds of all who
hear them sensations of deep grief; indeed I know of no sound (not even
excepting the Irish howl) which so fully expresses the passion of deep
sorrow as this lament of the native women. When their cry is completed
the resident native woman rises from the ground and slowly walks from the
wife of the one who has returned to the camp; the other female relatives
of the deceased then advance in turn, and go through t