A CHINESE FUNERAL AT DUNEDIN.

The Otago Daily Times cf Oct. 3 says : -A Cbineee fumml if not an every day occurrence here. Ihe Chininiii.fi who died suddenly on "Wednesday was buried on Thursday in th< Southern Greneral C-'mt-tery. Previous to th< funeral procession moving', tin express wac ei>nt from the residence <>f the deceased to 1-ht co-ret cry. The express contained n Chinaman, who was in charge of a stock of eatables and drinkables. Anoih r Celestial strewed pieces of flimsy pnjirr, which were punctured (stencil platn fashion) with Chinese characters, on the road to the cemetery. On the funeral reaching the cemetery, those who attended (they came in five cabs) walked to the grave. After they had drawn up near the grave, the coffin was brought from the hearse by cemetery officials and cabmen, preceded by a Chinaman bearing a board, on which were written the name and virtues of the deceased, and which afterwards served as a headstone. On the coffin being lowered, and the grave filled up, the ceremonies commenced. The basket of victuals was brought from the house in the cemetery. The basket contained a boiled fowl, three or four pounds of boiled pork, three bowls of cooked rice, a teapot containing tea, oranges, a paper of lollies, and other luxuries ; also, a bottle of grog and cigars. These things were spread out on a cloth near the foot of the grave. A fire was lighted, and a quantity of fancy paper was burned. This, we believe, represents money to aid the deceased in his pecuniary affairs beyond the grave. A Chinaman, having clasped his hands, faced the grave, and made several bows, and thereupon gave utterance to aome words — apparently a form of prayer in Chinese. Then the rice was emptied out of the three bowls on the foot of the grave ; tea was poured out of the teapot into several little cups, which were emptied ; and grog - was poured into them and emptied likewise. Then cigars were handed round and smoked, grog was offered, but none would accept of it save a European, who took the bottle full, the oranges and lollies were distributed among the little boys present, and the fowl and pork were given to the man who dug the grave. The ceremony over, a Chinaman stood at the cemetery gate anH distributed silver to those going out, and the funeral party then returned home. Star , Issue 2055, 8 October 1874, Page 4