The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-09-28
Marriage in Different Nations.

the presence of their friends and with such festivi-
ties as the condition of the parties viii admit.
| In Java there are three kinds of marriages. The
first and most common is where the parties are of
equal condition, or the bridegroom is the superior
of the bnde the second is where the wifes station
| is much higher than that of che husband and the
third is sort of half marriage, the offspring of
which are not on an equality with the other chill
dren. This marriage is quite unceremOnious, but
| the two other kinds are celebrated with some dis
| play. The first wife is always the head of the
| family.
Girls in Java are married at so early an age, that
| single woman of twenty-five is almost unheard
Of price is always paid the bridegroom. The
bridegroom splendidly mounted, accompanied by
his friends, with music, goes 10 salute his bride.
She comes out and meets them with low obeisance.
They sit together on elevated seat and eat out
of the same dish after which they go to the mosque
and the nuptials are celebrated according to the
| Mahomsdan ritual. Then comes wedding pro-
cesson through the village, grand feast, and at
the end OF five days. another procession, in which
the bride is conducted to her husbands house. In
some places the spinning wheel, loom and kitchen
utensils are carried in the bridal procession. In
others the bride washes the bridegroom's feet, in
token of subsection.
In Sumatra, the Battas have as many wives as
they please, generally five six, who all live in the
same apartment with their common husband, but
each have separate fireplace. Husbands purchase
their wives of their fathes-in-aw, and gamble them
Among the Redjangs, another tribe, besides the
purchase of wives, a man is sometimes adopted by
girls father as a son-in-law, and both subject
to the parent: and another marriage, where both
man and woman pay an equal price, and are on
perfect equality. The ceremonies are very simple.
In Borneo, no man is allowed to solicit damsel
in MARI age, until he cuts off the head of enemy.
When this condition is fulfilled the lover makes
presents his mistress IF they are accepted an en-
tertainment is given by her parents, and on the
ensuing day by his parents. After the feast, the
bridegroom Is conducted home to the house of the
bride. At the door friend sprinkles him with the
blood ola cock and her with the blood of hen the
parties then give each other their bloody hands, and
from that time they live together If man loses his
wife, he cannot marry the second until he cuts off
the head of another enemy.
In Celebes, the husband receives no other dowry
with his wife than the presents she obtains before
the ceremony. As soon as the young couple are
married, they are shutup in an apartment by them
selves for three days; servant brings them neces-
sary food, while their friends are entertained with
great merriment by the BRIDES father. At the end
of this time they liberated, receive congratua-
tons and are conducted to their future home.
The marriage customs of the natives of New
Holland rather more curious than agreeable.
Before girl is given TO her husband her two front
teeth are knocked out. The lover then throws a
kangaroo skin her shoulder, spits in her face
several times marks her with painted stripes Of diff
ferent colors, orders her march to his hut with
his provison-bag and if she does not go fast enough
to please him, he gives hef few kicks by the way
These savages generally steal wives from some
tribe with whom they are at enmity, and frequent
ly, when they observe girl without any protector,
they rush upon her, stupey her with blows of
club, and drag her through the woods with the ut
most violence. Her tribe retaliates merely by COM
hitting similar outrage. There are no other
wedding ceremonies
The MOOrs marry at very early age. Wives
are always purchased and the father of girl can
not refuse offer, unless there is some stain upon
the young mans character. The bridal tent is
adorned with a small flag and the bridegroom's
brow is encircled with fllet of the same color.
The bride is conducted TO the tent by her parents,
where the lover presents her with garments and
jewels, according to his wealth. grand enter
tainment is given, and the young women dance all
day to the sound of Instruments while the specta-
tors regulate their motions by clapping hands.
These dances are not very decorous.
The marriage ceremonies among negro tribes
are conducted with little ceremony, except an
abundance of pastime and dancing.
Among the Jereres, when lover has secured the
consent of relations, he summons his friends to
sist him in carrying off the BRIDE who shuts herself
up in hut with calabash of water, with which
she washes his feet, and wipes them with her
mantle.
In Congo, the negroes take their wives for year
on trial if at the end of that time they are salts
fled, the wedding is celebrated with feast. The
missionaries tried to abolish this custom without
success the mothers declaring that they would not
risk the happiness of their daughters by urging them
to an indissolube union with persons whose habits
and tempers they were not acquainted with.
In Abyssinia there is no formal marriage cere-
mony, parties live together long they please,
and these connections are dissolved and renewed
as often as they think proper.
African princes have an unpleasant way Of fur
nishing dowery for their daughters. When the
Sultan of Mandara married his daughter to an
"a he als ypora nola afadb ~
slave hunt among the mountains, when, after
dreadful struggle three thousand captves, by their
tears and bondage furnished out the materials of a
magnificent marriage festival
In Dictionary, all the unmarried females, through
out the kingdom, considered the property of the
sovereign. Once year they are all brought be-
fore him; he selects the most engaging for himself,
and sells the others at high prices to his subjects.
No choice is allowed the purchaser. He pays
twenty thousand cowres, md receives such wife
as the king peases to appoint being Obliged to APP
pear satisfied with the selection, whatever may be
her aspect or condition. The King has three thou
sand wives but the King of Ashantee has exact
ly three thousand three hundred and thirty-three,
and the safety of his kingdom is supposed to de-
pend on his keeping up this mystical number.
When Hotteniot wishes to marry, he drives
two or three of his best or sheep the house
of the BRIDES relations, accompanied by as many
friends as he can collect together. The men sit
round the bridegroom and the women round the
bride A blessing is then pronounced on the young
couple which principally consists in the hope that
their sons will be expert huntsmen, and prove
comfort in their old age. A feast is then prepared,
and when they have all eaten voraciously pipe is
lighted, of which each one smokes few whiffs,
and then passes it to his neighbor. Feasting is
sometimes kept up for several days; but they have
no music or dancing.
A VERY BAD CH1LD.-We find melancholy
account in the New York Star. In New York,
genteel looking female applied to one of the police
magistrates, for the apprehension of her child, a
girl Of IA years old She stated that for the last
three months, her daughter had been in the practice
of going away and staying all night That on Sat
urday night she left her home, and did not return,
nor she seen until Tuesday night, when she
was found at an infamous house. Upon the mother
of af haro child she