FILIPINO FUNERALS AND WEDDINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2511, 30 April 1902, Page 66

FILIPINO FUNERALS AND WEDDINGS.

('"The Captain's Wife," in Town Topics.) Here you have a chance of seeing the native Filipino as he really is. In many ways his simplicity is childlike ; MVK'll things please him, while big oneb touch him indifferently. Take funerals, for instance. Living in the convent adjoining the church, I 'ice every corpse that is carried in. Alost of them are those of children, and they «.re generally laid out exposed to view, -^ith a gilt crown tied on the little vobfoly heads. This great mortality of children would be sad were it not that children aie superfluous. The poor little ones ' A band leads every funeral, for the Filipinos are a musical people, and no affair is complete without the band. It he.'ds every wedding procession, every funeral, and every christening. When you see a real coffin pushed along on a catafalque by the male mourners, preceded by the entire band and followed by women, you know a very smart personage indeed has died, and that his funeral will co^t the limit. You never see a tear shed. The mourners, both male and female, walk along with stoic indifference, puffing a,way at big black cigarfe. Sometimes it happens the funeral takes place about the tune when , the band is to play for " retreat."' Then ! the corpse is left in the middle of the road ; the mourners seat themselves under tihe shade of the trees until the final strains of '"The stir spangled banner" are heard; then the procession resumes its way towards the cemetery. After the body is disposed oi they all repair to the home of the deceased": friends drop in, and theie i& a grand, long feast. The weddings are very similar. The procession is headed by the bridegroom, then comes the band, followed by the bride and her attendants. In this order the procession marches round the town, while the church bells peal clamorously until it enters the building. "(Feathers like a peacock's, " is an apt description of the bride. Her camisa (shirt or waist) and panuelo (kerchief) are of embroidered pina, 'but her &kirt is many-hued and gorgeous. The Filipino senoritas ihave a penchant for bright stripes from 4in to 6in wide. Green and pink, red and yellow, purple and white, are favourite combinations. The daughter of the Presidente was married a few days ago. and it was a very smart affair. Her skirt was of rose-colour satin, which she dragged through the dust of the road, to show that on such an occasion money was no object. She wore a pale blue, lace veil., besides a quantity of jewellery encrusted with pearls. Her family and friends celebrated aH that evening, and the nest morning, bright and early, a little after reveille, they inarched to church again. Then the Presidente came and invited us to an 11 o'clock dinner. The dinner consisted of soup, with bread broken in. it, chicken, and roast pig. It is a mystery how anybody dare venture to eat pork out here, after- seeing the pigs and learning -what they eat. Then came rice with sausages, followed by several courses of carabao meat ; the rich feast winding up tvitHi mangoes, bananas, and little cakes. For drinkables there were carabao milk and tinto, a light claret, for ] the Filipinos are an abstemious people. | After the dinner the rigadon was danced. I am told the reason the senoritas do not speak to their partners while dancing i& because it is considered bad form. Following the dance was some singing. It was strange to me to bear the music of " After the ball " sung in throaty Vi«ayan ; but I am told it is a Filipino air, and a great favourite with the people. A Redding fiesta lasts three days, and consists ol meat, dance, and song. I am the first white woman to appear in

this part of the island, and, naturally. I am a source of much interest to the natives. They have been most kind to me, constantly sending me presents of pigeons, mangoes, bananas, and eggs. In fact, their kindness is often as embarrassing as their questions. They always ask my Christian name, how old I am, how long I have been married, how many children I have, and what I paid for my frock!"