DKESSING DEAD BODY. 323 as to his final illness and death may be made again when the body is being carried to the grave. Outside the door, but inside the outer wall enclosing house and yard, a tent is erected, with a table at the inner end of it^ on which is placed a piece of meat, some soup, two plates^ 41 candlestick, and a duster to wipe the table. A screen before the table hides it from the view of any standing at the tent door. At each side of the tent is left a pathway, for entering into the house, in a room of which the dead body is lying. A straw mat is placed on the floor of this tent, and a fine one forms its roof Deessikg the Body. Two basons are to be provided filled with fragrant water ; one towel to dry the head, another to dry the body, each of cotton cloth, one foot squre ; a comb ; a black satin cord to bind up the hair on the top of the head ; and small bags of " five-coloured " (vary-coloured) silk are to be ready. A small pit is dug in the <;ompound or yard within the outer wall, to the south of the dead man, of two cubic feet, into which water &c. is to be thrown. A serving man takes the fragrant water into the room. Every person, except the Shangjoo, goes outside, stands at the south side of the tent, and weeps, looking northwards. The same servant takes away all the old clothes from off the body. The hair is •combed, the comb carefully wiped, and all the hair combed out is put into one of the little silk bags. The coverlid is then moved down, and the body washed with the fragrant water. If the dead was a woman, a woman must perform these offices. The body is washed properly with the cotton towel.* All the nails are then pared off both fingers and toes, and each is put into a little silk bag by itself; the twenty bags, with that containing the combed out hair, are to be put into the coffin. The towels, water, and comb are thrown into the little pit Then the dressing is commenced.
- When Chinese wash,** it is always in the form of wiping with a handkerchief
or towel, rinsed out of hot water. Apparently washing the dead also consists of this "wiping."
