Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-07-19

will be required to meet the wants of the
citizens. Chester Standard. .o' --.vr
Curious Wife Hunting.
The native blacks of Australia have sin
gular mode of wife hunting, and we find it
vividly described in new English work:
In nothing is the brutality of their nature
more clearly shown tEan in the treatment
of their females. Amongst them women
are considered of an inferior class, and are
used almost as beasts of burden; so that
it is not at all uncommon to meet a huge
black fellow travelling merrily along with
no load but his spear and war-club, whilst
his unfortunate leubra is painting under the
weight of her goods and ohattels, which
she is compelled to carry from camp to camp.
Courtship, as the precursor of marriage, is
unknown amongst them. When a young
warrior is desirous of procuring wife, he
generally obtains one by giving in exchange
for her sister or some other female rela.
tive of his own; but if there should hap.
pen to be an eligible damsel disengaged in
the tribe to which he belongs, then he how
ers round the encampment of some other
blacks until he gets an opportunity of seiz-
ing one of their leubras, whom, perhaps, he
has seen and admired when attending one
of their great corrobories. His mode of
paying his addresses is simple and efica-
cious. With blow of his nsulconulla
(war.club) he stops the object of his affec-
tions, and drags her body away to some re-
tired spot, whence, as soon as she recovers
her senses, be brings her home to his gun.
yah in triumph.
Sometimes two join in an expedition for
the same purpose, and then for several days
they watch the movements Of their intend
ed victims, using the utmost skill in con.
cealing their presence. When they have
obtained the knowledge they desire, they
wait for dark, windy night, then, quite
naked, and only carrying their long 'tjag-
spears" they crawl stealthily through the
bush until they reach the immediate vicini-
ty of the camp-fres in front Of which the
girls they are in search of are sleeping
Slowly and silently they creep close to dis
tinguish the figure Of one Of those leubras;
then one of the intruders stretches out his
spear, and inserts its barbed point amongst
her thick, flowing locks; turning the spear
slowly around, some of her hair becomes
speedily entangled with it; then, with a
sudden jerk, she is aroused from her slum-
Der, and as her eyes open, she feels the
sharp point of another against her throat.
She neither faints nor screams ; she knows
we'll that the slightest attempt at escape or
alarm would cause her instant death, so,
like sensible woman, she makes virtue Of
necessity, and rising suddenly, she follows
her captors. They lead her away to con-
siderable distance, tie her to tree, aud re.
turn to ensnare their other victim in like
manner. Then,. when they have accom-
plished their design, they hurry off to their
OVID, where they are received with uniYer.
sal applause, and highly honored for their
chivalric exploit. Occasionally an alarm is
given, but even the wife stealers easily es.
cape amid the confusion, to renew their at.
tempt at some future time.
When a distinguished warrior carries of
bride from strange tribe, he will fire.
quently volunteer to undergo the "trial Of
spears" in order to prevent the necessity
of bis people going to war in his defence ;
then both the tribes meet, and ten of their
smartest and strongest young men are pick.
ed out by the aggrieVed party. These are
each provided with three reed spears, and q
soommera, or throwing stick, and the Often
der armed only with his heilimaan, "a bark
shield eighteen inches long by six wide, } is
led out in front, and placed at distance OF
forty yards. Then, at a given signal, the
thirty spears are launched at him in rapid
succession; these be receives and parties
with his shield, and soskilful are the blacks
in the uss of their own weapons, that very
seldom is any wound inflicted. Having
successfully passed through this ordeal, the
warrior is considered to have fairly earned
his leubra, and to have atoned for his Of.
fence in carrying her off; so the ceremony
generally concludes by the two tribes feast
Ing together in perfect harmony.