Show Yuma Indian Burial Service I was much struck in reading a letter to the Bulletin describing the mortuary customs the Hindooswith their resemblance to those practiced in the vicinity of Fort Yuma at the pIesen ta time In fact they are liter I I ally the eame So much baa been said on the subject of the best method of cremation of late years tbat I had been impreesel with the idea that something equivalent to the heat of a compound blowpipe was necessary to consume a human corpse and yetI yet-I have eeen three fourths ot a cord of wood prove sufficient in the open air to completely destroy every vestige ves-tige of an adult body and have never perceived any noticeable odor during the process The body is burned as scon as possible after death Four post are planted enclosing a space six feet by four and ordinay cordwood cord-wood mixed with lighter material is piled across it to a height of two feetThe The body is laid upon this and as much more wood piled upon it And the whole fired Everything belonging belong-ing to the deceased excepting livestock live-stock is thrown upon the fire 1 e engrain en-grain and food His bouse is burned the camp moved and his name is never mentioned again His account is closed there is no inheritance no shoes to wait for The horses of the deceased are killed kil-led and eaten by the funeral guests The Yumas never eat chickens or j AOaa thnnOh Hunl D In bS b J oIagg aJuLAJ AVA sale neither will they touch pork or mutton The mourning does not necessarily take place during the burning of the body though that is preferred when practicable Runners are sent out to summon friends and relatives and it is not until all are good and ready that the pentup feelings feel-ings of the bereft find venD in a howl lasting twentyfour hours or more according to the position and sex of the deceased and supply of horsemeat horse-meat Females are not violently mourned Cor Philadelphia Bulletin Bulle-tin |