, 1889-08-07
rAI eK.ouLA MARRIAGE kno1.
ms Strange CourtshIp and Queer weddIngs
Of a Northern Tribe.

N Strhnke SoATNhhAp n queer "euuihE
Of a Northern Tribe.
Mr.. Phi. Jacobsen, in a letter to his
well known brother, Capt. A. Jacobsen,
gives the following description OF the
marriage ceremonies of the Bilqula In
dians of British Columbia. An Indian
who intends to marry calls upon his in
tended wife's parents and arranges with
them how much he is to pay for permits
sion to marry the girl. Among people
Of high descent this is lone by messen-
gers, sometimes as many as twenty being
sent to call on the girls father. They
are sent by the mans parents before the
young man is of age. In many instances
both man and girl are not more than 8
or Q years old The messengers go in
their boats Il the girls house, and carry
on their negotiations without going
ashore. where the relatives of the girl
are standing.
The messengers of tho young mans
parents praise his excellence and noble
descent; the great exploits of his father,
grandfather and ancestors; their wars,
victories and hunting expeditions; their
liberality at festivals, etc. Then the
girls relatives praise the girl and her
ancestors, and thus the negotiations are
carried on. Finally. a number of blan-
kets are thrown ashore by the messen-
gers; and the girls relatives protest, and
maintain that the number is not suffi-
cient to pay for the permission to marry
the girl. In order to obtain their con-
sent, new blankets are thrown ashore
one by one, the messenger continually
maintaining that the price paid is too
49, nnn-I. 49,, su-a-t,- -. lft-
blankets, each of the value OF about fifty
cents, are paid.
After this the boy and the girl are con-
sidered engaged. When they come to
be grown up the young man has to serve
a year to his father-in-law he must fell
trees, fetch water, fish and hunt for the
latter. During this time he Is called
Kos, which mean ''one who woos."
After a year has elapsed the marriage is
celebrated. At this time great festivals
are celebrated. Seven or eight men per-
form n dance. They wear dancing aprons
and ~leggings trimmed with putin beaks,
hoofs Of deers, copper plates and bells.
II the groom should be a wealthy man,
who has presented to his wife many
small copper plates, such as are used as
presents to a bride, these are carried by
the dancers. The singing master, who
beats the drum, starts n song, in which
the dancers join. The song used at the
marriage festival Is sung in unison,
while in all other dances zach lancer
has his own June and n The first
dancer wears n ring made of cedar bark.
His hair is strewn with eagle down,
which flies about when he moves and
forms N cloud around hia hand
The groom presents the first dancer
with a piece of calico, which the latter
tears TO pieces, which he throws down
In front OF each house of the village,
crying "Holpl" in order to drive away
evil spirits. These pieces of calico which
he throws down in front OF the houses
have a lucky meaning, and at the same
time express the idea that the groom,
when he comes to be a wealthy man, will
not forget the inhabitants of any house
when giving a festival. The dancers
swing their bodies and arms, stamp
their feet and show the copper plates to
the lockers on.
Then the brides father brings n great
number OF blankets, generally double the
number Of those he had received from
the groom, and gives them to his daugh-
ter. The bride orders a few blankets to
be spread before the groom. She sits
down, and he puts his hand upon her
head. Then the groom is given for each
Of the parts of his body one or more
blankets. Finally he is given a new
blanket. After the brides father has
given a blanket to each dancer and to
the drummer the villagers are invited to
great feast. At this time groom and
bride eat for the first time together
Science.