ON THE .MA1.AYS Ol- CAl'Ji TOWN.
The limtTal party ciimc wiiiiliiig up ihc hill, ami along the narrow paths amongst the ilowei-s, till they halted at a newlv-
(iug grave, not perpendicular, like oui-s, but hollowed out from the side of the pit. There was no coffin ; the l)i)dv,
->vrapped in white cloths, was borae upon a bier, covered with a canopy of rose-coloured cotton, Two men descended
into the grave, and the corpse with great care was slipped gently down from the bier, hid from sight beneath a sheet
held by four men, who thus conceal the grave, until the body is carcfully laid in the niche or recess, and shut in with
boards and stopped with grass, by the officiating piiest. No women were ])resent. Dming the whole time the body is
hehig slip]>ed down into the grave and arranged in its resting-place, a prayer is rapitUy muttered by the men. As
the clods of earth were shovelled in, a young Malay scattered bunches of lovely white flowers, roses and narcissus,
into the grave at inten'als, amongst the clods. \\'hen the grave was filled up, the head was mai'kcd by a small upright
stone, and <rae bunch of flowei-s resen-ed to lay there, w t h a stone upon it to prevent its being blown away by the wind,
'i'he mouraers were now pictui-csquely seated in groups around the grave, in the fading daylight; the priest in bis robes,
with his Arabic scroll, sitting at the top, and chanting in a loud voice some words, which were repeated by the company
several hundred times in a singing chorus. A boy sat cross-legged with a brass tea-kettle, from which the priest poured
^\•ater up and down upon the neAv-made grave. Wlieu the three w^ovds of prayer had died upon their lips from repetition,
the old priest would commence again with rcneweil energy. The ceremony over, the group, with the empty bier, wound
down the hill, amidst the heautifid mountain scenery, in the amber light of evening.
A Malay wedding-party may form a pleasing c(nitrast to the funeral scene we have just described.
I was invited to witness a Malay wedding by one of the priests, whose daughters were amongst the bridemaids. 1
went about four o'clock hi the afternoon; the bride had been given away by the priest, and some prayei-s said, and the
feasting bad commenced in earnest ; it wiu« literally " a marriage-feast." The house, which was small, was crowded to
excess; in an inner room, beneath an illuminated mirror, decorated with artificial flowere, sat the bride, surrounded by
about thirty young gii-ls as l.iridemaids; they were all dressed in \\hite, with satin handkerchiefs crossed over their
shoulders, and their luxuriant black hair plastered with more than ordinary care in the Malay style with cocoa-nut oil
and gum, and fastened behind with a gold bodkin. The bridemaitU occupied the seats on each side of the bride, round
a table groaning bei;eath the weight of sweetmeats, ft'uits, and millet-cake.'^ j lofty columns of oranges, placed one on the
top of another, looked as though they would fall downi the instant the table was touched: and pots of preserved ginger
and nutmegs were handed about. Drinking tea and coffee, and feasting, went on till about eleven o'clock at night, varied
by occasional singing. One man appeared to unite the character of a buffoon with that of master of the ceremonies, and
used every effort to diffuse merriment and encourage the young girls to sing. They chanted some amoi'ous ditties in a low,
warbling voice, which was followed by a chorus from the men. As the party breaks up, the biidemaids lead the bride
to her chamber, where she awaits the arrival ot the bridegroom. One old man then shuts the door, and keejjs him out
the bi-idegroom remonsti-ating all the while, and endeavouring by every means to gain access. This joke is kept up for
some time, till at last the bridegroom forces the door and joins the bride, when the party immediately sepai-ates.
I was favoured with a sight of the l)edroom and marriage-bed prepared for the reception of the bride by her hasband.
The ]-oom was tastefully decorated with white mushu and artificial flowers; bunches of artificial fiowers were placed on
the curtains and toilet; everything was beautifully white and clean; and the cai-pet, bed, and the entire room, were scattered
over with small shreds of gilt and variously-coloured paper; these were strewn thickest on the bed and by the bedside.
An elderly matron, in a rich dress, performed the honour, which is a distinguished one, of shewing the inai-riage-chamber
to the fi-iends of the bride and bridegroom, who inspected it one at a time,