Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-05-31
MARRIAGE MARKETS.
QUEER INSTITUTION OF THE Der.
BER TRIBES OF MOROCCO.
BaZars Where the Feminine ,Ier.
chant Sells Herself with the Pur-
Who u to Her Liking.


chase OF a Mnscuiine Customer
=. Who Is to Her Liking.
Among the Kabyle clans in north
ern Africa women are looked upon AS
chatter to be sold like other posses
sions, and they are accordingly dis
posed OF to the person who makes the
highest offer to the father or other
male guardian. Many of the Berber
tribes of Morocco, Algters and Tunis
hold yearly marriage markets, to
which all the young marriageable
girls and widows from the neighboring
villages are brought. The markets
are attended not only by young men
and old on the lookout for wife, but
also by curious crowd anxious to see
what lots are for sale and what prices
they fetch. The girls when on view
are allowed to have voice i'm the Sc
lection of their husbands. and may
decline any proposal.
They are arranged in rows right
across the market place, decked in the
most telling Berber costumes; painted,
powdered and patched in the highest
style of kabyle art; loaded down with
rings and bangles. brooches, chains
coins enough to stock a jewelers. shop.
The jewels are rarely the girls prop.
erty, but are borrowed for the occa-
sion from friends and neighbors, as
every village takes pride in its girls
and wishes them to serve we'll. The
young women are all seated on small
squares OF carpet spread upon the
ground. Each has an elderly woman
beside her, and in front she has, as if
for sale, a small roll of stuff woven by
her own hands. The faces OF the girls
are uncovered, for Berber women do
not wear the face-concealing haik of
the Arabs, but it is impossible to tell
whether they are pretty or not, for
their faces and foreheads are so
painted and even tattoocd that the
natural features cannot be made out.
Here is description OF girl OF six
teen: Yellow bars are painted across
her face and patch OF gold foil is
stuck on her right cheek; her fore
head is tsttooed with a blue circle and
her lips and gums are we'll reddened.
Her hair is arranged in narrow plaits.
from the end of each of which dangle |
ribbon and coin. She wears a |
long-sleeved, red silk garment, fall
ing from her shoulders hallway down
her legs, and red silk scarf, worn
like a plaid across the left shoulder,
where it is fastened by jeweled gold
brooch. The legs from the knees
down are bare, but the feet are in
closed in little yellow slippers, with
gold-embroidered edges and jeweled |
tops, while round the ankles is a
double row OF bangles with bells at
tached. On her head is Phrygian
cap with thick corded silk border
and fringed ends, to which tiny coins
are fixed, hanging over the forehead
dead down to the eyebrows. To a
pair OF small earrings are attached two
larger rings, six inches in diameter,
from which dangle little bells. A
heavy necklace is round her neck and
below that massive chain with q
central brooch. Round each arm
winds broad band of gold, and below
it seven bangles, to which bells are
fastened. Another girl may have her
whole face painted yellow, with little
stars and suns and moons in silverfoil
pasted over it. Another has blue
circles tattooed all over her cheeks,
The widows wear white cloth fas.
tened to the top OF the head and Sc
cured by brooch at the waist.
The man who wishes to purcha.e
steps up to the woman OF his choice
and asks the price of the woven stuff
before her. II he pleases her she
names very low figure, then a loud,
shrill and prolonged Yu-yu-yu-u-u"
uttered by the old woman at her side
announces that bargain has been
made and the crowd shouts its approy-
al. If she does not care for the man
she names an absurdly high price
then he, walks off to inspect the next
lot. The girls are perfectly self.
possessed. The young men are q good
deal more nervous, and look as
sheepish as European might in their
place. They are dressed in their best,
IN long red burnous, with high straw
hats surmounted by cabbage-shaped
plumes. One will spend an hour, and
sometimes two or three, walking about
the girl he wants before he dares 10
ask the price of the woven roll. The
girls watch the men out of the corners
OF their eyes, apparently unconcerned.
chatting and laughing at them. When
the suitor presents himself they eve
him boldly from head to FOOT as they
would horse, and If he suits he gets
prompt answer. Sometimes the old
woman will encourage bashful
youth with q wink or a nod. The old
men set to work il business-like
manner and walk down the line max
ing their proposal to one after another
until they find some one who will
accept their offer.
THE rayages of the caterpillar in
the orchards in various parts OF
Whatcom county is assuming alarm
ing proportions. In the vicinity of
Ferndale, Lummi and Fort Belling-
ham whole orchards are stripped of
their foliage and the trees are dying.
The Allen orchard, at Marietta. has
been, it is said, completely ruined.