Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1850-03-09
OLD SERIES VOL. 10, NO. "a.

10 tuey please, generally 1lVe or SIX, VINO all
live in the same apartment with their COM
mon husband, but each has separate fire.
place Husbands purchase their wives Of
their iather-in-law, and gamble them away,
or sell them whenever they please.
Among the Redjangs, another tribe, besides
the purchase of wives, a man is sometimes
adopted by the girls father as a son-in.aw
and both are subject Of the parent and there
is another marriage, where both men and
woman pay an equal price, and are on per.
feet equality. The ceremonies are very sim.
pie.
In Borneo, no man is allowed 10 solicit a
damsel in marriage until he has cut off the
head of an enemy. When this condition is
fulfilled, the lover makes presents TO his mis-.
tress; if they are accepted, an entertainment
is given by her parents, and on the ensuing
day by his parents. Afterthe feast the BRIDE
groom is conducted home to the house of the
BRIDE At:he door a friend sprinkles him
with the blood OF a cock, and her with the
blood OF hen; and the parties then give each
other their bloody hands, and from that time
they live together, If Il man loses his wife,
he cannot marry 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 shut up
IN an apartment by themselves for three DAYS;
a servant brings them the necessary food,
while their friends are entertained with great
merrment by the BRIDES father At the end
OF this time they are liberated, receive the
congratulations Of their friends, and are con-
Quoted home
The marriage customs OF the natives OF
New Holland are rather more curious than
agreenbe.-Before girl is given to her hus-
band, her two front teeth are knocked ont.
The lover then throws kangaroo skin over
her shoulder, spits in her face several times,
marks her with printed stripes of diferen,
colors, and orders her 10 march to his hut
with the provision bag; if she does not walk
fast enough TO please him, he administers a
few kicks by the way. These savages gene
rally steal wives from the tribe with whom
they hre at enmity, AS soon as they perceive
a girl without any protector, they rush upon
her, stupify her with blows of a club, and
drag her through the woods with the utmost
violence Her tribe rctaliae merely by
committing similar outrage. There are no
other wedding ceremonies among these sa.
wages.
The Moors marry at very early age;
wives are always purchased and the father
OF the girl cannot refuse an offer, unless there
is some stain upon the young mans character.
The bridal tent is adorned wiiha small white
flag, and the bridegroom's brow is encrcled
with hllet Of the same color. The bride ia
conducted to the tent OF her parents, where
the lover presents her with garments, and
Jewels according 10 his wealth. A grand en-
teriainment is given, and the women dance
all night 10 the sound of musical instruments.
while the spectators regulate their motions
by clapping their hands These dances are
not very decofuus. The marriages among
the negro tribes are conducted with but very
little ceremony, excep, an abuYlance Of pas
time and dancing.
Among the Jereres, when the lover secured
the consent Of relations, he summoned his
friends to assist him in carrying of his bride
who shuts herself up in hut with her COM
panion, where they maiutain an obstinate
siege before they conclude TO surrender.
| In Brammuk, the bride comes 10 the hut
OF her husband with calabash of water,
with which she washes his feet, and wipes
them with her mantle
In Congo, the negroes take their wiye5 for
year on trial; if at the end Of that time
they are satisfied, the wedding is celebrated
with feast. The missionaries endeayor to
abolish this custom without success; the mo-
theirs declaring they would not risk the happi-
ness OF their daughters by urging them into
in indissolubie union with persons with whose
tempers and habits they were una ,quainted.
In Abyssinia, there is no form of marriage
I ceremony. Parties live logaher as long as
they choose, and these connections are dis.
solved and renewed as often as the parties
may think proper,
|
furnishing dowries for their daughters. When
the Sultan of Madara married his daughters
to an Arab sheikn, "ihe uuplials were cee-
brated by great slave hunt among the,
mountains, when after dreadful struggle
three thousand caplives by their tears and
bondage, furnished out the materials of
magnificent marriage festival"
Ia Diliomey, all the unmarried females
throughout the kingd m are considered tho
property Of The sovereign. Ouce year lhep
are brought before him; he selects the q
engaging for himself, and sells tl, mos
high prices 10 his subjects. Nc = " |.
lowed the purchaser. He N0''e IS "l'
,bo bin, otoo.. sives such wife a,
10 annesr co.. 'oaward him being Obliged
syst -. ''isded with the selection. wba,.
w. ~ y be her aspect or condition Tbi.
a' 'areh has three wives; but the kioa oC