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a proposal of marriage from the man, or the woman, it not being considered a mark of forwardness for the latter openly to declare her inclination. A present is brought to the door of the cabin of the bridegroom, by each guest invited to the marriage. The parties are conducted by their fathers into the cabin, the father of the bridegroom commencing the ceremony by an oration. He holds in his bauds a bow, and arrows with the points directed towards the young couple; he dances until he becomes heated and fatigued, and afterwards, kneeling down, he presents his son to the bride, whose father also performs the same gestures which the other exhibited. When the ceremony is concluded, a party of men begin to cut down trees and clear a spot of ground, on which they plant Indian corn for the future support of the young couple.

The young women among the CHAWANONS, Who have any pretensions to beauty, practise a peculiar kind of coquetry. As soon as they arrive at the age of puberty, which commonly happens before they are twelve years of age, they either keep themselves quite secluded at home, or muffle themselves up so that when they go abroad it is impossible to see any thing but their eyes. On these indications of beauty they are eagerly sought in marriage, and those men who have the greatest reputation as warriors or hunters, generally obtain

the consent of the family. After this the lover repairs to his cabin, where the beauty is lying closely enveloped on her couch; he gently ap-1 proaches and uncovers her face, so that she may see his person, which, if it be to her mind, she gives a smile of approbation that invites the youth to lie down by her side; should his person not please her, she again conceals her face more closely than before. The lover instantly retires, and no longer thinks of gratifying his passion, which among this people is only approved when recipro-› cally felt. When the nuptial ceremony is ended, the new son-in-law is admitted into the cabin of his wife's father; but he must engage in the chase for the benefit of his father-in-law, till the birth of his first child. He has the power of marrying all his wife's sisters as they arrive at puberty, or of disposing of them to whom he pleases. The young savage seldom lives long with his first wife. Often before he is thirty or thirty-five, he has married and abandoned a dozen.

Among the CHACONESE, it was common for the females to propose matches as well as the men. With the caciques, or chiefs, it was lawful to marry the widow of a deceased brother, but it seldom was carried into practice; the Indians not approving of matches between relations, and ever since the introduction of Christianity they do not often marry within the degrees allowed by Chris

tians. The women prick their faces, necks, and breasts, in order to mark them with a certain dye which they use as an ornament; they are very jealous of their husbands, but entertain little affection for their offspring. The husband, when his wife is brought to bed, observes a most rigorous fast, during which fast they neither hunted nor conversed with any one, it being their firm belief that the life of the child depends on their strict performance thereof. The ceremony they observed in giving names to their children was as follows:-A prisoner of war was plentifully entertained for several days previous to the naming of their children; on the appointed day his throat was cut; as soon as he was dead, all who were present touched the body, during which time they gave names to such childen as had not received any. This done, the body was cut up, every family taking a picce thereof, which they boiled, and each person of a family taking some of the liquor, not excepting children at the breast.

In CALIFORNIA, the men have sacrificed much more to Christianity than the women. Peyrouse informs us they were formerly given to polygamy, and were even in the habit of espousing all the sisters of a family. The women, on the other hand, have acquired the privilege of receiving the caresses of one man. Some confess, however, that notwithstanding the unanimous report of the mission

aries on polygamy, it cannot be conceived that it could be an established custom of a savage nation; for the number of men there, being pretty nearly equal to the women, a forced continence must have been the consequence to many, unless that conjugal fidelity had been less rigorously observed there than in the missions where the religious have constituted themselves the guardians of the women's virtue. An hour after supper they have the care of shutting up, under lock and key, all those whose husbands are absent, as well as the young girls above nine years of age, and during the day they are entrusted to the care of matrons. So many precautions are still insufficient; and we see men in the stocks, and women in irons, for having deceived the vigilance of these female Argusses.

The women mourn six months for the death of their husband, after which period they are permitted to marry again. The crime of adultery is punished with death in this country.

The ABISSANS Sometimes practice polygamy, but not in general. The women often kill their children, that their whole attention may be bestowed upon their husbands. They marry at the age of from twenty to twenty-five. The girls are bought of their parents for about four horses. Their clothes are of various colours.

The OTTOMAQUES are the only Indians who admit their women to participate in their amuse

ments. Among them, or elsewhere, the whole weight of domestic labour falls upon the female ; but they are at least allowed to associate in their public diversions. They are beside the only tribe among whom the practice of polygamy is not admitted. A singular custom also prevails with them, of always uniting a young man to an old woman, or a young woman to an old man. The reason they give for such alliances is, that the discretion of the elder one shall curb the impetuosity of the younger.

At DEMERARY, the commissary court grants licences for marriage. Those who approach the altar of Hymen are generally people of colour, who, in conformity with the laws, are obliged to receive permission from this court, for which they pay the extravagant fee of one hundred and ten guilders. They are also obliged to have the intended marriage advertised in the Colonial Gazette, This form of marriage, though strictly binding under the colonial law, seldom satisfies without having recourse to a clergyman. An English gentleman, who was on the point of marriage with a Dutch lady, attempted to break through this law, intending to be married according to the form of the Church of England; when the Vice President, fearful of losing his fees, very charitably informed him, that, if he deviated in the least from the esta blished custom, he would publish through the

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