w h ic h p roceed ed from th e centre o f th e p ile w h e re th e b o d y lay,,
and fign ified that th e fire had reached it.
W e le ft th e fp ot lo n g before the laft bille t w a s con fum ed , an d B en -
n il- lo n g appeared d u r in g th e d a y m ore ch e e r fu l than w e had exped ted ,
and fp ok e about fin d in g a nurfe from am o n g th e w h ite w om en to fu ck lc
h is child.
T h e fo llo w in g d a y he in v ite d us to fee h im rak e th e allies o f his
w i fe to g e th e r , and w e a c com pan ied h im to the fp o t, unattend ed b y
a n y o f his ow n p eop le. H e pre ced ed us in a fo r t o f fo lem n filence ,
fp e a k in g to no one u n til he had paid B a - ran g -a - ro o th e laft duties o f a
h u fb and . In his h an d h e h ad th e fpear w i th w h ic h h e meant to p u n ifli
the ca r - ra h -d y W il- le -m e - r in g fo r n on-a ttend ance on his w i fe w h e n {he
w a s ill, w ith th e end o f w h ic h h e ra k ed th e calcined bones and alhes
to g e th e r in a heap . T h e n , la y in g th e fp ear u p on th e g ro u n d , h e
fo rm ed w ith a p iece o f b a rk a tum u lu s that w o u ld h a v e d one credit to a
w e ll-p ra fitifed g ra v e -d ig g e r , c a r e fu lly la y in g th e e a r th ro u n d , fm o o th -
in g e v e r y little u n e v en n e fs , a n d , p a y in g a fc ru p u lou s a ttention to the
ex ad t p rop o r tion o f its fo rm . O n e a c h fide th e tum u lu s h e placed a lo g
o f w o o d , and on th e top o f it depofited th e p ie ce o f ba rk w i th w h ic h
h e had fo c a r e fu lly effec ted its conftrud tion. W h e n all w a s d one h e
a fk ed us “ i f it w a s g o o d ,” and appeared p leafed w h e n w e affured h im
th a t it was.
H is d ep o r tm en t on this o c c a fio n w a s fo lem n and m a n ly ; an e x p re f-
f iv e filence m ark ed his co n d u c t th ro u g h o u t th e fcene ; in fa c t w e a ttend
ed h im as filen t ly , and w i th clo fe obfe rv ation . H e did n o t fuffer
a n y th in g to d iv e r t h im from th e bufinefs h e had in han d , n o r did he
ie em to be in th e lea ft defirous to h a v e it q u ic k ly d ifp atch ed , but paid
th is la ft r ite w i th an atten tion th a t did h o n o u f to h is fe e ling s as a man,
as it feemed th e re fult o f an heartfelt affedtion fo r the objedt o f it,' o f
w h o fe pe rfon n o th in g n o w remained bu t a p ie ce o r tw o o f ca lc ined bone.
W h e n his m e la n ch o ly w o r k w a s end ed , h e flood fo r a few minutes
w i th h is hands fo ld ed o v e r his b o fom , an d his e y e fix e d u p on hK
la b ou r s in the attitude o f a man in p ro fo u n d th o u gh t. Perhaps in that
fm all in te r v a l o f time m an y ideas p refented them fe lv e s to his im a g in a
t io n . H is hands had ju f t completed th e laft fe rv ice h e cou ld ren d e r to
a woman.
a w om a n w h o , n o d ou b t, had been u fe fu l to h im ; one to w h om h e w a s
ce rta in ly atta ched , ( o f m an y inftances o f w h ic h w e had at different
times be en Witneffes,) and one w h o h ad le ft h im a liv in g p led g e o f
fome moments at leaft o f endearment. - Perhaps un d e r th e heap w h ic h
h is hands had raifed, and on w h ic h h is e y e s w e re fix e d , his im ag in ation
traced the fo rm o f h e r w h om h e m ig h t fo rm e r ly h a v e fo u g h t fo r ,
and w h om h e n ow w a s n e ve r to b ehold ag ain. Perhaps w h e n tu rn in g
from the g ra v e o f his deceafed com p an io n , h e diredted all his th o u gh ts
to thé p re fe rv ation o f th e little one Ihe had le ft h im ; and w h e n h e
quitted th e fp ot h is -a n x ie ty m ig h t be diredted to th e ch ild , in th e idea
th a t,h e m ig h t one d a y fee h is B a - ran g -a - ro o re v iv e in h is little m oth e r-
lefs D il-b o o n g . ,
C o le -b e ’ s w ife , w h o bo re the fame names as th e deceafed, lo ft th em
b o th on this o c c a fio n , and w a s called b y e v e r y one B o -rah n g -a l-le -o n .
T h is p e cu lia r ity w a s alfo ob fe rv ed b y th em w i th refpedt to a little g ir l
o f ours, o f w h om B a -ran g -a -ro o w a s fo fo n d as to call h e r a lw a y s b y
h e r ow n name. O n h e r deceafe Ihe to o w a s fty le d B o - ra h n g -a l- le -o n .
C o le -b e ’ s w i f e , th e n amefake o f th e B a - ran g -a - ro o I h a v e ju f t mention
ed , did n o t fu rv iv e h e r m a n y m onths. S h e died o f a con fum p tion ,
b ro u g h t on b y fu c k lin g a little g ir l w h o w a s at h e r breaft w h en Ihe
died. T h is circumftance led to th e k n ow le d g e o f a cu rious but ho r r id
cu ftom w h ic h obtains am o n g the fe people.. T h e m oth e r died in the
to w n , and w h e n Ihe w a s ta k en to the g ra v e h e r co rp fe w a s ca rried to
th e d o o r o f e v e r y h u t and h o u fe Ihe had been ac cnftomed to enter
» d u r in g th e latter d a y s o f h e r illn e fs , th e bearers p re fen tin g he r w ith the
fame ce remonies as w e r e ufed at th e fu n e ra l o f B a - lo o -d e r - r y , w h en ,
th e little -g ir l D il-b o o n g a n d 'th e b o y B e -d ia B e -d ia . w e r e placed b e fo re
his corpfe-
W h e n the b o d y w a s placed in th e g ra v e , th e by e -ftan d e rs we re -
amazed to fee th e fath e r h im fe lf place th e liv in g ch ild in it w i th the
mother. H a v in g laid th e ch ild d ow n ,, h e th r ew u p on it a la'rge f to n e ,.
and the g ra v e was in ftan tly filled in b y th e o th e r natives. T h e w h o le
bufinefs w a s fo m om en ta ry , that ou r p eo p le had; n o t time o r p re fen ce o f
mind fuffic ient to p re v en t i t ; and on fp e a k in g ab out it to G ole-bé, he*
fo fa r from th in k in g it in h um an , ju ft ifie d th e e x tra o rd in a ry a£t b y
affurin g us that as no w om an could b e fo u n d to nurfe the ch ild , it muft
die a m uch w o r fe death than that, to w h ic h .lie had p u t it. A s afimilar .
eircum-.-