The Shasta courier., 1866-10-20
COURIER.
Marriage in Egypt.

When an Egyptian wants wife he is not
allowed to visit the harems of his friends to
select one for Mohammed forbade men to
see the face of any woman they could marry,
that is to say any besides their mothers or
sisters. A man is, therefore, obliged to EN-
plov ''kahtbeh, or matchmaker, TO find
one for him, for which services, of course,
she expects backsheesh, +" that is, payment.
The kahtbeh, having found a girl, recon-
mends her to the man as exceedingly beauti.
full, and eminently suitable to him. The
father is then waited upon to ascertain the
dowry he requires-for all wives are purchas-
ed, as they were in patriarchal days. When
Jacob had no money to pay for Rachel, he
served her father seven years as an equlva-
lent and when duped he was obliged to
serve second term to secure his prize,
Genesis, chapter XIX. Fathers still refuse
to give younger daughter in marriage
before an elder shall have been married.
The people of Armenia, in Asatic Turkey,
forbid a younger son to marry before an
elder, and this is likewise the law of the
Hindoos.
The price of wife varies from five shil-
lings to fifteen hundred dollars. The girl
may not be more than five or six years old,
but whatever her age, twothirds of the dowry
is at once raid to the father, in the persence
of witnesses. The father then, or his repre-
sentative. says: 81 betroth to thee my
daughter" and the young man responds {:
Il accept of that betrothal." Unless among
the wer classes, the father expends the
dowry in purchase of dress, ornaments, or
furniture for the bride. which never become
the property of her husband. Even when
betrothed the intercourse of the parties is
very restricted. The Arabs will not allow
them to see each other, but the Jews are
not quite so stringent. The betrothals often
continue for years before the man demands
his wife, thus: . Sampson went down to the
woman" or espoused her, "and after time
returned to take her."
Girls are demanded at the age of ten, and
between that and sixteen, years but after
sixteen, few men will seek them and the
dowry expected is then prOportionably low.
Girls in Egypt are often mothers at
thirteen and grandmothers at twentysix and
mothers at eleven, grand mothers at twenty
one, and past child bearing at thirty. When
a man demands his betrothed, a day is fixed
for the nuptials, and for seven nights before
is expected to give feast, which, however,
is given by the guests themselves. Thus one
gives coffee, another rice, another sugar, etc.
The principal time of this continued feast
is the night before the consummation. The
conduct is entrusted to the friend of the
bridegroom. John III. 29). About the
middle of this day the bride arrives at the
house. and retires to the harem, where she
sits with her mother, sisters and female
friends. At the third or fourth watch of the
night three or four hours after sunset, the
bride groom who has not yet seen his fair
one, goes to the mosque to pray, accompanied
by - meshals," or torches and lanterns, with
music.
Upon his return he is introduced to his
bride, with whom, having given her at
tendent present to retire, he is left alone.
He then throws off her veil, and for the first
time sees her face. If satisfied he informs
the women outside, who Immediately express
their joy by screaming Zuggareet," which
is echoed by the women in the house, and
then by those in the neighborhood