The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-09-21
INDIAN COURTSHIP.
SOW THE cOPPER-COLORED RO-
MgO WINS HIS DUSKY MATE.

MgO WINS HIS DUSKY MATE.
a Courtship of ouietness, without whis-
perings or MISUNDERSTANDING Consent
of Parents and Relatives-Paying for
the Withdrawing a wife's Sister,.
There are many different ways of doing
the courting-somewha different from
our own, yet no less cunning and success
full Whether successful or not IN the
suit, the young mans relish for food and
other pleasures of life is not in the least
diminished: he meets his disappointment
IN love unlike my friend, the doctor, who,
during unfavorable periods, forsakes his
meals, looks pale and contemplates the
various ways of suicide.
When a young man likes girl, he soon
discovers her feelings toward him He
will carefully follow her footsteps, until
he catches her alone-sitting on the grass,
on a rock or dead tree. He quickly throws
a blanket ,r robe over her head and
crawls to her side under the protecting
shelter. If the girl likes to be thus
captured, there will be peace and quieUness,
and they will sit side by side for hours,
without whispering, kissings, or other
endearings little trifes-they simply press
closely together and look sadly happy.
IA
there will be short, sharp and decisive
battle, which always ends to the discom-
fort of the amOrously inclined swain, for
he dare not persist by force.
Capt. w. 2. Clark, in his work, says
that the "Plains Indians" do the most OF
their counting in a standing position. An
Indian lover will stand and wait near the
lodge, where abides the object of adm1ra-
ton, until she appears, when he walks up
alongside of her and throws his blanket
around her. If she reciprocates the tender
sentiment, they will thus stand for hours,
his blanket covering both their heads and
closely wrapped round both their bodies.
SUCCESS IN COURTSHIP.
/ have seen as many as half dozen
young men waiting by the path, which
led down to the water near camp, and
one after another throw his blanket around
a girl as she was going down to fill the
water vessel While so waiting or stand
ing outside lodge, they usually have their
heads entirely covered with their blanket,
excepting only little hole for one eye. If
the girl likes to be held, she makes some
reply to the first tender greeting; If she
expresses dislike to his advances, the man,
by the law of conrtship, must at once de-
sist
The boys aspire to appear as men at the
age of 10 or Is; they have become success
full hunters and warriors, aud, as soon as
their means warrant, they will marry.
The girls, under the tutelage of their
mothers learn the manifold details of their
future life of drudgery and attain woman
hood at about IL, when they soon after
marry.
After the young man has succeeded in
courtship it becomes necessary to obtain
the consent of the parents and relatives.
He puts on his robe with the hair-side
out, draws it over his head, SO as to en-
tirely conceal his face, and in this guise
walks to the lodge of the intended fair
one, enters and squats down. No one
addresses him, nor does he utter word
but his object is sufficiently understood
by all concerned. Having thus sat in
silence awhile, he arises and passes out.
After lapse of few days he repeats his
visit, wearing his robe as before. If, upon
entering, the bear-skin or other seat OF
honor was made ready for his reception,
he is at liberty to disclose his face and be
seated, for such welcome indicated that
his addresses were not unacceptable; but
if he met with no such preparations, he
might as well retire, for his attentions are
not regarded favorably. If he was re-
ceived, the young girl soon took her seat
by his side.
A HARMONIOUS SOLUTION
The father of the girl would then sug-
gest that both families of the contracting
parties make a feast, and hold council
concerning the proposed alliance. This 1s
done within a few days, and usually re-
suits in harmonious solution OF the all
important question II is seldom that the
match falls through on account OF the
poverty of or some stigma attached to the
sutton, or the personal aversion of the
maiden.
In the latter case, if the man was ac-
ceptable to her relatives, they endeavor to
overcome her opposition by persuasion, In
some cases even resorting to violence,
cruelty beating her with their fists or
sticks till consent is extorted.
If no cause of objection was raised on
either side, then the two families proceed
to settle up the price that the young man
should pay. This custom of paying for
the wife is universal among all Indian
tribes; the cost-from one to six horses.
The union then follows without any
further ceremony, than final feast given
by the girls father The husband generally
goes to the lodge of the father-in-law and
lives there with his wife. A particular
part of the lodge is allotted to him, and
henceforth he is a member OF that family.
With many tribes the son-in-law marries
his wife's sisters as they become marriages.
BILE, paying to the father horse or two
for each successive one. Hence the SON
in-law usually speaks of his wife's sisters
as wives, though they might yet be small
children.
When white man marries an Indian
woman, it is a genuine sale, growing out
of greed of gain or some benefit, real or
imaginary, which viii accrue to the father
and relatives the poor, dirty maiden Is
often led away with tears and protesta-
lions of a most violent nature, but she
afterwards becomes a faithful slave.-Col.
Guido uges in Chicago Graphic News.
A Theory Concerning New Stars.
An ingenious astronomical theory is
that of Mr.. Monck, of Dublin, who sug-
gests that as shooting stars are known TO
be dark bodies rendered luminous for a
short time by rushing through our atmos-
phere, new stars are dark or family lumin-
Gus bodies which acquire a short-liyed
brilliancy by rushing through some of the
-, a~Hn