APPENDIX XI--FUNERAL CEREMONIES
The first peculiarity noticeable in their funeral ceremonies is the
disposal of their dead; their young people they consign to the grave;
those who have passed the middle age are burnt. Bennillong burnt the body
of his first wife Ba-rang-a-roo, who, I suppose, was at the time of her
decease turned fifty. I have attended them on both occasions. The
interment of Ba-loo-der-ry was accompanied with many curious ceremonies.
From being one day in apparent perfect health, he was brought in the next
extremely ill, and attended by Bennillong, whom we found singing over
him, and making use of those means which ignorance and superstition
pointed out to him to recover his health. Ba-loo-der-ry lay extended on
the ground, appearing to be in much pain. Bennillong applied his mouth to
those parts of his patient's body which he thought were affected,
breathing strongly on them, and singing: at times he waved over him some
boughs dipped in water, holding one in each hand, and seemed to treat him
with much attention and friendship. On the following morning he was
visited by a car-rah-dy, who came express from the north shore. This man
threw himself into various distortions, applied his mouth to different
parts of his patient's body, and at length, after appearing to labour
much, and to be in great pain, spit out a piece of a bone about an inch
and a half long (which he had previously procured).
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