THE MORTAL PART

One of the most fascinating places we visited in Macau was the Protestant cemetery, a small graveyard in the old part of the city. Macau was an extremely Catholic place once upon a time, a fact that accounts for the tiny number of protestant dead. The graves, mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries but with a smattering from the early 1900s, told the saddest stories of seamen and settlers.

Captain Huddart bore his "long and painful Illness" with "the utmost fortitude"

Mrs. Seth left behind a "disconsolate Husband and Sons"

a nameless "apprentice Boy" died from "the Effects of a fall into the bold"

we saw evidence that such deaths were common (though more often described, as above, as "a fall from aloft") and guessed that they resulted from sailors climbing masts, particularly in stormy weather.

"The Mortal part" of Mr. Cruttenden rests here "In the hope of a joyful Resurrection". I sincerely hope that worked out for him.

It was surprisingly touching how many of the graves and tombs had been sponsored by the shipmates (and in at least one case, "messmates") and friends of the deceased, rather altering my image of sailors as callous "yo ho ho and a bottle of rum" types. But maybe that's just pirates; maybe sailors have been gentlemanly folks all along.

There were also a handful of non-English inscriptions, mostly in German. I could understand just enough to make me quite sentimental.

However, as a Harry Potter reader, this tomb gave me quite a start. I know it's not quite accurate what with that extra initial and "s" at the end, but I wouldn't put it past Voldemort to engage in such trickery just to throw us off the scent.

Cremation has long been exclusively practiced on the Chinese mainland and if there are any physical cemeteries I've never seen one. Besides, this wasn't your usual graveyard; it was just as fascinating a place as the city it belonged to and quite the pleasant place to while away an afternoon with new friends.