Before the body was quite cold the mother and the landlady commenced clearing a table in the dining-room.  I looked at this performance in astonishment because it was now evident that they were going to prepare a “lit de parade” there, close to the tables where our meals were served.  The body was then brought in, dressed in a white robe adorned with pink, yellow, and sky-blue silk ribbons.  Loose leaves and branches were scattered over the little emaciated body, care being taken not to conceal any of the fancy silk ribbons.  Empty whiskey and gin bottles were placed around the bier, a candle stuck in the mouth of each bottle, and then the whole thing was lighted up.

It was now getting dark fast, and as the doors were wide open, a great crowd was soon attracted by the brilliant display.  All the “400” of the little rubber town seemed to pour in a steady stream into the dining-room.  It was a new experience, even in this hotel where I had eaten with water up to my knees, to take a meal with a funeral going on three feet away.  We had to partake of our food with the body close by and the candle smoke blowing in our faces, adding more local colour to our jerked beef and beans than was desirable.  More and more people came in to pay their respects to the child that hardly any one had known while it was alive.  Through it all the mother sat on a trunk in a corner peacefully smoking her pipe, evidently proud of the celebration that was going on in honour of her deceased offspring.

The kitchen boy brought in a large tray with cups of steaming coffee; biscuits also were carried around to the spectators who sat against the wall on wooden boxes.  The women seemed to get the most enjoyment out of the mourning; drinking black coffee, smoking their pipes, and paying little attention to the cause of their being there, only too happy to have an official occasion to show off their finest skirts.  The men had assembled around the other table, which had been cleared in the meantime, and they soon sent the boy out for whiskey and beer, passing away the time playing cards.

I modestly inquired how long this feast was going to last, because my room adjoined the dining-room and was separated only by a thin sheet-iron partition open at the top.  The landlady, with a happy smile, informed me that the mourning would continue till the early hours, when a launch would arrive to transport the deceased and the guests to the cemetery.  This was about four miles down the Javary River and was a lonely, half-submerged spot.

There was nothing for me to do but submit and make the best of it.  All night the mourners went on, the women drinking black coffee, while the men gambled and drank whiskey in great quantities, the empty bottles being employed immediately as additional candlesticks.  Towards morning, due to their heroic efforts, a multitude of bottles totally obliterated the “lit de parade” from view.  I managed to fall asleep completely exhausted when the guests finally went off at nine o’clock.  The doctor diagnosed the case of the dead child as chronic indigestion, the result of the mother’s feeding a three-months-old infant on jerked beef and black beans.