V I E W OF A B U R Y I N G - P L A C E ,
near Han-lchcou-fou.
T he tombs an d monuments o f C h in a ex h ib it a v a rie ty o f architecture ,
except those o f the common people, w h ich are n o th in g more th a n small
cones o f e a rth , o n th e sum mits o f w h ich th ey freq u en tly p la n t dw a rf trees.
T h e se simple graves are o cc asionally visited b y the fam ily , wh o are p a r ticu
la rly careful to trim and keep tliem in nea t ord e r.
T h e coffins o f th is c o u n try are made o f v e ry th ick b o a rd s, p le n tifu lly
p itch ed w ith in , an d v a rn ish e d w ith o u t; w h ich makes th em d u ra b le , and
prevents th em from em ittin g p u trid e x h a la tio n s : this proc ess b ein g ab so lu
te ly nec essary, whe re the coffins o f the lower cla ss often lie scattered
among the tom b s, to tally u n co v e red w ith e a rth .
T h e r ic h spare no expence in h a v in g coffins o f the most pre cious wood,
w h ich are freq u en tly p ro v id e d several years before the dea th o f the persons
in te n d in g to o ccupy th em . A deceased p a ren t is oftentimes preserved in the
h o u se b y an affectionate fam ily for m o n th s, an d even y e a rs ; y e t, either
from th e ir knowledge o f em b a lm in g , o r from th e p ractice o f sec u rin g the
jo in ts o f the coffin w ith b itum e n , n o contagious effluvia proceeds from it.
T h e d u ty o f th e widow o r c h ild re n is n o t fin ish ed h ere : even after the
corpse is deposited in the sepulchre o f its anc estors, the disconsolate re la tives
(clad in coarse canvas) still re sid e w ith the b o d y , an d co n tin u e th e ir
lamenta tions for some m o nths. T h e characters o n the m o n um en ts, sig n ify
the name an d q u a lity o f the d e fu n c t; a n d ep itap h s , ex to llin g th e v irtu es
o f the deceased, are in sc rib e d on tablets o f marble a t the entrance o f the
v au lts . T h e tomb w ith steps before it, an d a n o th e r, inclosed w ith cypresses,
a re common with people o f affluence.