He had been murdered by his countrymen whilst tending Mr.
Bussel's cattle.) The dirge, as distance blended all the voices, was very plaintive, even musical; nor did the diminution of distance destroy the harmony entirely; some of the chants were really beautiful, but rendered perhaps too harsh for our ears in actual contact: for as I joined myself to the procession, and became susceptible of the trembling cadence of each separate performer--the human voice in every key which the extremes of youth and age might produce, there was a sensation effected which I cannot well describe--a terrible jarring of the brain.

The fact that the involuntary tears rolled down the cheeks of those infants who sat passively on their mothers' shoulders, not appreciating the cause of lament, but merely as listeners, must prove that these sounds are calculated to affect the nervous system powerfully.
CEREMONIES ON INTERMENT.
The procession moved slowly on and at length arrived at the place fixed upon for the burial.

There had been a short silence previous to coming thus far, as if to give the voice a rest; for as the body touched the ground, and the bearers stood erect and silent, a piercing shriek was given, and as this died away into a chant some of the elder women lacerated their scalps with sharp bones until the blood ran down their furrowed faces in actual streams.

The eldest of the bearers then stepped forward and proceeded to dig the grave.

I offered to get a spade, but they would not have it; the digging stick was the proper tool, which they used with greater despatch than from its imperfect nature could have been expected at first sight.