Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1874-03-07
MARRIAGE CEREMONIES IN TO0R.
kISIAN.

tiers from excessive labor, IN order 10
preserve their freshness and beauty,
til nlis 10 which they will be in a ro.
sition to demand from the future bride.
groom the highest price the latter is in
position to give for a bride. And as,
in this nomad race, the women do not
cover their faces, il IS not difficult to
choose a bride from among them. Hav.
ing made his selection, the ToOrkOman
intrus.s to a kinswoman or friend Of
the bride the task Of proposing Ia his
name TO her parents, and Of settling the
price.
For q vall.madc, handsome, and
healthy girl, they pay usually from one
hundred to one hundred and sixty fO-
mans from one hundred and eigLty-s.x
70 two hundred and seventy-elght
pounds Tor an ordinary girl they pay
from sixty 10 eighty tJUaHs for one
who sg4i1ts, or is deaf, or dumb, or
dis9gurei by smallpox, they do not
pay more than fifteen or twenty t0l0ans.
The same prices are given for a hand
some female slave. The children Of the
latter are not recognized as on tie same
footing with the children Of the same
ia'A4t aga q .tee "o-a-, anu -- Wy
1s'tlDl'loA Oh t-s --eh'a-C@, Icy
receive lesser pgft.9A
AFTER 'Ae ~colc-la-yL d t-s co-tL@c;
tie terms By both parties, q W1lllt Is
5anmSIsd' VINO compose . "!-s,s-
coLttac'' sLI 7--sc' . pEyP-.y-' ~
ioF the marriage 27ts1ol!' 1-s o.-.7
groom 7eLts tLe Dhae CERTAIN
among VL!c- sassp lof l-e "e!l--g
feast are s-Fays 'ouAl' IN t-e l.' o.
the Teal-Ag ,Le tent o. tLe g[l4s Il
aecAel Out WIN al US s'A!-aD-@ car
pes, g42-, SIX rags ie@l-sIs' &c, i
tLs place. Inc DL.de is e-Lef-.-F
Dtolg-. away q, Ml1.oay Il t-e Dl--"-
groom is not IN q Pcsl,-JA 70 sPe-4
much On the Wedding, he DFlLg7 MS
wife home 81 night L tLe- the wed
ding taAe7 place without guests
Inc DTae2foom nGtAeF, sisters le,
male relations, and lnends, adorned
#ltA al tLelr &Fa'-aole treasures, Z
WIN tnelr Aead5 attlred Ior the coca
s!on inherently from the usual manner,
collect and adoru three or four camels
with carpets ana varle8a'el pieces Of
SIX These stuiis, se"cd together,
cover the mean ana NECK Oh tLe animal,
and are fastened TO the saddle and
thus the procession proceeds Tor the
bride to the tent Of the parents,
The men 0 divide INTO groups one
proceeds on loot, as an escort to the
women the other, armed as If for Q
fOray, proceeds IN front OF the bridal
train. At q short distance from the
brides tent they spur on their horses
: discharge, at full speed, guns and pls
!, tolls, and perform various other evolu
, tons. They then enter the tent, ant
= there, after a conversation OF about al
: hours length, a sort OF strife is entered
= INTO between the relations and friend
: OF the BRIDE and those who have com,
= to remove her from the parental roof
The bride generally feigns to refus,
! to quit her relatives, and, whel
= they succeed at last in taking her from
the tent, they place her on a carpe
spread IN front of the tent by thOs
: men who had marched IN foot in tn
process ion. After this, having seize,
on the ends Of the carpet, these me,
! hasten to the spot where the camel
! were left standing. The horsemen cove
their flight, firing into the brides party
who follow the men with the carpet
), and hurl clods Of earth at them tn
fugltlyes, Obliged to cover their head
~ with their clothes, sometimes let go tn
q carpet, or stumble on somo lnequalit
g OF the ground, and fall one u the to
/ OF the other.
y Having reached the spot where I'll
= camels stand, the pursuit ceases. The
~ cause the bride to emerge from IL
carpet the women arrange her dres
n and cover her head and lace with q vel
70 leaving open only the eyes and nos
is Placed IN front, among the nearest rel
,e tons OF the bridegroom, the young 81
a. proceeds at the head OF the corteg
10 She Keeps herself erect, and lool
>, straight before her when passing ne
# the tents, the women around the brio
slightly raise her veil, In order to di
play her to the curious. just befo
a reaching the bridal tent, the horsemt
m ride forward and recommence firm
70 ntterlng, piercing cries. The road
Y. thr9nged with people, who salute Il
e. brlde with deafenlng hurrahs and,
ne the moment when she prepares to Gro
the threshold OF the bridal abode, tn,
r. place d her ieet pieces OF past
lr Tor the children the latter appear
" the marriage-traln, and generally NAL
Il a terrible uproar.
of During this hurly-burly the Wont
lead the bride into the tent OF the brid
1e groom, and place her aside, with h
10 back to the entrance. The females
81 the vicinity then hasten to visit and co
of graduate her, but the entrance is barre
Ie to the men. These remain in the stree
o and pass the time till dinner in sing
Q combat and racing, both on horseba'
re and on foot. In the evening they smok
ss drink tea, and listen to music.
i'd There is yet another original mari
m age custom, mentioned only by Yamb
iry:: This ceremony consists in Il
bride, enveioped from head to foot in
n, vel! or SIX handkerchief, racing {
ny horseback with her bridegroom; n,
On unireqnently the yelled Amazon reacI
in es the goal sooner than the youth a