Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/355

THE COFFIN. 327 facing north ; the women all similarly arranged under the Joofoo on the west, also facing northwards. There is a straw mat prepared to sit on ; and if there are very honourable men, they must have their separate mats in honourable places. The sons must each have a bason, in which to wash their hands and face, on every occasion of mourning and sacrifice. The Coffin. Ten ounces (licmg) of resin, and three of bees-wax, are required to fill in the seams of the coffin, and make it air tight ; lacquer or varnish to blacken the coffin, as much as the buyer chooses; — the poor are at liberty to blacken with anything; twelve feet black or blue silk to line the coffin ; — instead of which the poor may use the thickest kind of paper. The inside corners are lined with green or red silk, and the inside of the lid with the same material, which lines the body of the coffin. The joiner should be ordered to provide the very best wood which can be afforded. Before the actual coffining, there is a preliminary form to be gone through, preparatory to coffining. This is called SiAO LIEN ; we may call it the Bedding. For the board, on which the body is now to be placed, in order to carry it to the coffin, is called the Bed. For it, twenty feet white fine cotton, two rugs, one pillow, one board, are provided. The Sanyi, or outer robe, of any colour, according to choice, is then put on the body ; — if a woman, this is a petticoat. The Shangyi, upper garment, without button-holes, is also put on ; but for women, this is a long robe. New cotton must be at hand to fill in all the spaces and interstices in the coffin at the shoulders, about the feet &c. Three sashes are provided to bind the clothing on the dead body; and the garments are carefully laid out^ each in its proper place. The bedding may take place next day after death. When the serving-men wash their hands and place the body on the bed the pillow is taken away first, and a bundle of the clothing of deceased is used instead, and so made up as to fiU in the 'spaces on each side of the head over the shoulders. Other of his