Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-08-25
gsouImAuz mARE1.eE ergroms.

I
practieed by very few Indian tribes. but
when the missionaries got into the country
I 1T became necessary TO change this hea-
thenish mode OF procedure, and while they
substituted one Of their own, I de not
think the readers Of .hs Sunday Magazine
viii recognizs 10 az wholly a civilized ceTe-
mony / mske 2 short eytracs from the
journal Of The missionary LsahY, VINO refers
TO acout the years 1870 30 IT'S, when ne
was II Greenland. He says These VIC.
lent wooings, Of course, We could not allow
to be continued by the baptized Green
landers. For this reason they trust the
matter 10 the priest, saying, l should Ike
70 hayo . wife. Whom He names
ner. est thou spok era with her Some
times they win say, Yes, she is rot IN
willing, but tEOu ku0west womanind.
More frequently they will answer No.
Why not p It Is difficult; girls ara
prudish-thou must speak to her, Ia
this case the priest summons the girl.
She comes, and after some casual questions,
he begins the proposal IL the following
way think It is time now b have thee
married. Il won't marry What
pity I have q sutton for thee. Whom I!
The priest names him. he is good FOR
nothing I won't have him Then the
| priest enumerates his good qualities. he
is a young, clever provider, throws his
harpo0n with deXtgTJY and power, and,
above all, he loves thee. She listens to
bis praise with attention 7nd, IS her man.
ner indicates, with pleasure, but still she
answers, I wol't marry; ] WON'T h2ve
him. Well, I viii nos force shee. I
shall soon fad a gifa TO- such clever ie!-
low The priest then keeps silence. IN r
be considered her no az decisive an
swe7 At last she 7.hi5pels ai5h sigh,
and E;th tears iu h.r eyes, as5 as thou
vie have f.. Ut; No. as thou wilt ]
#Iii not ps uad5 .aee T1er follows,
with g deep grosn, 45s, and tae matter
Sc settled
Such was the ceremony o. ueeotiatl5n
followed by the marriage, like she punish
meut OF a irumhead CourC-Usrual follows
It's dndines. Tais power of Intermediates
ia coprsship seeing to have been abused by
the reverend gentlemen, for La2ay himzsi.
ssrs that ne entered the abode NJ native
and forced him TO deliver MP Ejs daughter
whom Laaby wanted 90 msrry so yo1ug
mzn who mad iaisD In love 'TitH her. and
whose re.u-als uus5 have D.s1 uiora per.
siseent and determined tan those o. tbe
yoang woman ~ Size last incident, 70 have
urged aim TO adopt suoh curious pre-
ceduse 10 tlis parU-giar ca7e III my GTn
experience, from Hgdsons Bay northwest
ward, the EAQlinaax .rtsa pr2c.ieal ll-
vores within certain Eni's taa Gle
hrs5aul -ld aho rirht b.. ciNarclug bis
wife, ~ even iud,ct le T1E personal pune
lahuent a,tHonan, as szl3 in e previous
u b. o. H.t ~ ooh II rgl
tissms ut 7roaid he o-iow ahe avelage'of
that inflicted 1y people Of equa. ignorance
in civilized con tries sad under t5eir iaas.
In Greenland t6ese commnuistic rights
were abolished under the rsgiu5 Of the
priests, and domestic discipline was much
eurtsiIsi. While tais has led 20 the native
children being noticsably more discbediept
90 their parents, yet the good Old custom
of friendly chatting arc total abs-iaeuoo
from quslreis is as well held as formerly.
There is no ceremony or process of Gus
tom atteuding the action OF divorce among
thera, although these etreveT rld them
selves Of q wife until somebody ei5e Is Will
ing and ready TO recaive her at once. Uu-
der tins universal law that all the Iwiiiks
must be married, and of which / have
spoken at length Ia a former article.
There is nothing so fatal TO ceremonies of
all kinds as modesty and bashfuluess. and
il national scale of ell the pe0pls Of the
earth cculd be established On this trait Of
character think the Esquimaux would
be found az the maximum end ; so most OF
their ceremonies are confined SO small clc-
cles Of intimate relation aud friendship,
where embarrassment would necessarily be
at 8 minimum. DR.. Rink exemplides sew
eraI OF these eases go pointediy that ] viii
give one or two. Referring to She mar
rage Of the men, he says: AT the Chief
stations where a missionary resides, there
Is. more time 10 arrange Ghe matter, 1ut ~
stations where he only makes a shori stay
when on his travels the embarrassment OF
the bridegroom is oiteu so great that he
puts off mis- communication till the very
moment when the minister ID getting into
his boat TO gain Gepar5 curious
iustsnce Of another bat sluilsr-kind hap
pencl at such place tew years ago The
Communication 90 the minister having been
maze by the relations If the bridal pair,
the community bad assembled, end were
ali waiting Tor she iuliilment Of tee soiem-
n;ty with the exception OF tAa bridegroom
himssli who was stil wanting Inc tol.
loving conversation then eneued between
the minister and the assembly "Where
Is tie man to whom 1 am to marry this
woman - No answer Have none OF
YOU seen Bim?" No answer. On running
bis eyes over sbe assembly, big suspicion
was raised BY observing a man sitting WITH
downczss eyes, and the evident appearance
of being in an uncomfortable position.
6 Is not that the very man, he who sits
there ~ No answer "Thou, there,
hsdst thou to be welded to this woman 2
The answer was an affirmative nod. "Thou
hast, perhaps, changed thy mind ~ he
nodded assent, and the ceremony was az an
end. Lieutenant Sehwatka, U. S. A, in
Frank Leslies Sunday Magazine.