The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-07-14
SAVAGE BRIDES.
Points from Ethiopia on Capturing
Sweothearta,

clOeu In brltlSn law court not long
since, should have the effect of giving
encouragement to the belief that in coun.
tries without the pale of civilization the
courtship and coming together, for bette,
or worse, of couples who are so disposed
is an affair into which nothing in the ma.
ture of solemn declaration enters. but
merely matter of business arrangement
between the parties concerned. Such Is
really far from the fact. There is GER
tainly nothing either pathetic or impress
i've in the Barralong ceremony as de-
scribed in newspaper print. All that
the reader knows about the case in ques-
tion is that a certain young English Of
ficer applied to the Zulu Chief Mont
sioa for permission to take a wife from
among the women of his tribe, and,
the same being granted, he declared his
love for a girl named Teepoo, and agreed
to we'd her according to Barralong Gus
tom, which is said to consist in the in
tended husband rendering to the mother
of the bride sleeps head, together with
the craniums of buck, an OK and COW.
In addition to this he has to take spell
at the plow in the garden of his mother
in-law, by way of showing his cheerful
willingness to become one of the family.
All these conditions the young English
man seems to have fulfilled but he went
to the war and was killed there, leaving
poor Teepoo with an unborn babe, and it
was to establish the rights of the latter,
now some two years old, to his late
fathers estate that the putatiye widow
appealed to this country. But the Brit
ish law was against her claim, and the
best the Judge could do for her was to
commend her to the generous considera-
ton of the deceased Englishman's rela
tives benefited by the nonsuit.
Had Teepoo married one OF her own
people and remained with them she would
have been better treated. There are bar
barian regions where wives, no doubt,
have hard times, but as rule they have
not much to complain of in South Africa.
DR.. Livingstone bears testimony to this.
Among the Makalolos, for example,
should young man have liking for a
young woman he cannot marry her with
out the consent of her parents, and that
granted he may not take his wife to his
own home. He must reside within the
jurisdiction of his mother-in-law, to
whom he is bound to pay more respect
even than to his wife, inasmuch as when
he comes into her presence ''he is ex-
pected to sit with his knees in bent po
sition, as putting out his feet toward the
old lady would give her great offense."
Should he, sitter awhile, grow tired of
this state of vassalage, and wish to return
to his own people, he is not at liberty to
take his children with him. His wife's
parents have on them q claim that can he
set aside only by his making them COM
pensatin2 present Of goats and oxen. AS
was shown in the case that came for set
Element before an English tribunal,
horned cattle play conspicuous part in
the South African marriage rites. Among
the Kaffirs it is the swain's father who in
the first instance negotiates for daugh-
ter in law, and if his overtures on his
sons behalf are favorably received an OK
is killed and partaken of in common,
after which the marriage arrangements
may proceed. More cattle appear on the
scene, not, however, as the brides dowry,
but as compensation to her father and
mother for the pains and trouble they
have been put to in bringing her up and
in making her the delightful young crea-
ture she is, as well as for their loss Of her
services, now that she has grown to be
strong and useful. The marriage day
appointed, there is gathering of friends
On either side and the presentation oxen
are paraded, and, as rule. after much
haggling, accepted by the brides father,
that is. The mother, who is not present,
has little business 10 do on her own &C
count. Her husbands demands satisfied,
,he is seen approaching with few mat
ronly cronies, attired in rags, and she
comes bewailing her hard fate that
poor as she is, should be deprived
Of such valuable daughter. 1t is re-
feature of the programme, and
therefore no one is surprised. A fine an
imal called "the OK of the NURSE" has
been kept in reserve, and this being pre-
,ented to the wailing mother, she is ap-
peased. The young man does not there
and then claim his bride, however. He
yoes of to prepare her q home, and at
length an intimation that he is ready now
TO receive her reaches her parents in the
shane of a necklace that has been thrown
the previous night over the palin2s OF the
and is there discovered next
Among the Kaffirs OF Natal
it is usual for the brides parents to re-
turn three of the presentation cattle-one
in consideration of the ornaments the
young girl has been in the habit OF wear
ing, and which are now divided among