Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-07-26
THE BILQULA INDIANS.
An Interesting Account of Their Marriage
Ceremonies.

Science.
Mr.. PHI Jacobsen, in a letter to his
well-known brother, Capt. A. Jacobsen,
gives the following description of the
marriage ceremonies of the BiIqula In
ans of British Columbia. An Indian who
intends to marry calls upon his intended
wife's parents and arranges with them
how much he is to pay for permission to
marry the girl. Among people OF high
descent this is done by messengers,
sometimes as many as twenty being sent
to call on the girls father. They are
sent by the man s parents before the
young man is of age. In many instances
both man gand girl are not more than
eight or nine years old. The messengers
90 in their boats to the girls house, and
carry on their negotiations without go
ing ashore, where the relatives Of the
girl are standing. The messengers of
the young man S parents praise his eX-
cellence and noble descent; the great ex-
PLOTS 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 number of blankets are thrown
ashore by the messengers; and the girl IS
relatives protest, and maintain that the
number is not sufficient to pay for the
permission to marry the girl. In order
to obtain their consent, new blankets are
thrown ashore one by one, the messen-
gers continually maintaining that the
price paid is too great. Generally from
twenty to fifty blankets, each of the value
of about fifty cents, are paid.
After this the boy and the girl are
considered 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 ne
is called Kos, which means Zone who
woes. - After a year has elapsed the
marriage is celebrated At this time
great festivals are celebrated. Seven or
eight men perform dance. They wear
dancing aprons and leggings, trimmed
with putin beaks, hoOfs OF deers, cop
per plates and bells. If the groom
should be 8 wealthy man, who has
presented to his wife many small cOpperF
plates, such as are used rs presents to
bride, these are carried by the dancers.
The singing master, who beats the drum,
starts song in which the dancers join.
The song used at the marriage festival Is
sung in unison while in all other dances
each dance has its own tune and song.
The first dancer wears a ring made of
cedar bark His hair is strewn with
eagle down, which flies about when he
moves and forms a cloud around his
head. The groom presents the
first dancer with piece OF
calico, which the latter tears to
pieces, which he throws down in front Of
each house of the village, crying,
''Hoip!'' in order to drive away evil
spirits. These pieces Of calico which he
throws down in front of the houses have
a lucky meaning. aud ut the same time
express the idea that the groom, when he
comes to be q wealthy man, Will not for
get 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 lookers-on. Then the
BRIDES father brings a great num-
Der OF blankets, generally double the
number of those he had received from the
groom, and gives them to his daughter,
The bride orders Q few blankets to be
spread before the groom. She sits down
and he puts his hand upon her heaEf..
Then the groom is given for each OF the
parts Of his body one or more blan kets.
Finally he is given anew bla nket. A fte
the bride s. tetter has given q blanket toL
each dancer aud 20 the drummer, the