During the time that those barbarous obsequies lasted, it was unlawful for anyone to go to any place where the deceased had gone, or where he had bathed, under penalty of the culprit’s losing his life immediately.  After the days for the mourning had been completed, they covered the eyes and mouth of the corpse with sheets of gold.  They carried it to the field in a coffin, and into distant caves or sepulchers among themselves; and buried it, together with a male servant if the deceased was a man, or a female servant if the deceased was a woman, so that such person might serve them, as they thought that that was necessary in the other life.  Thus did the dead and living go hand in hand, without any recourse or dispensation.  Such servants of the deceased were set apart for that purpose from their childhood, and were called atabang.  If the deceased was rich, a greater number of servants was added.  This is confirmed by the event that was rumored in the island of Bohol shortly before Miguel Lopez de Legaspi arrived at Zibu; for those people placed seventy slaves in the sepulcher of one of those barbarians, all arranged in order in a little ship, which they call caracoa—­which was provided with anchors, rigging, and everything else, even arms and food, as if it had been launched in the sea.

Of the aforesaid, it is well known that that people believed in the error that the soul went with the body, and that they were maintained in the other life as in this.  Consequently, they placed the most costly clothes in the sepulchers.  The relatives added others, and even arms, if the deceased was a man, and the instruments of her domestic labor if a woman, together with all the other dishes and jewels of the house (not even excepting gold and precious jewels), in accordance with their taste, so that these might be enjoyed in the other life.  The food was carried to them for the space of one year, and it was placed on an adorned table every day.  When it was taken there, the food of the preceding day was taken away.  That they threw into the water, and no one dared to touch it, as it was a sacred thing.  They generally built a hut over the grave, so that the deceased should not suffer from the inclemency of the weather.

If the death were by violence, vengeance pertained to the children, and in default of children to the nearest relative.  The sign of that obligation was to place certain armlets on the arms, as for instance, twigs of osier, more or less according to the station of the dead.  Upon killing the first man whom they encountered—­even though he were innocent—­one armlet was removed; and thus they continued to kill until all the rings were removed from the arms.  The avenger did not eat anything hot, or live in a settlement, during that wicked and barbarous vengeance.