The morning times., 1896-07-12
THE PURCHASE OF WIVES.
Countries Where Legal Marriage Fol
lows the Payment of Price.
PdW Mail Gazette

There are many countries in which, If
man wishes 10 lie legally married. lie has
to go out and buy wife, though tie market
prl.-eS OF that article varies considerably
In ganda you can get whatyo require for
Two or three hulioCks, or even Tor SIX gcod
sewing needles, or perhaps a bCx OF Iercus-
SION caps: while inferior wives can be picked
up in exchange for a coat, and If one is in
different to health and beauty, for pair
of shoes.
In the Caroline Islands wives are cleap.
a father Will let you marry lis daughter,
ifyou give him q little fruit or asmali present
of fish, while in Samoa matrimony runs you
into pigs and canoes. ailIoEg he tIJlans ,lIlto
whales teeth and muskets. In Tartary it
is best TO marry beneath you tyou can 80 II
on few pounds of hUtterl, because man
who has lUrIily notions Of a marriag &c with
one OF the upper ten must lie an owner ur
horses.
The aborieines Of Australia manage tlcir
marriage upon most equitable principle.
If A wishes to marry BIS sister, lie allows
him to marry lis own: or if Is happens TO
be a widower, then his daughter Will do
Just as well one of the most Objectionable
forms of gaining Il wife is 10 work for her,
a hahit praCticed among many unciviliZed
nations, its only advantage being that Il
man can get a wife on credit, though his
fatheI-iu- law takes good care that he serves
his time. Among some races you have to
do your work before You get your wife, as
Jacob had to serve for Leah and for Ra chel.
Marriage by exchange and purchase is
hot customary among uncivihzed nations
only. In Central America and Peru man
has 10 work for his bride.
In Chiua 4 present is given by the father
of the bridegroom, tie amount Of which
is agreed upon by both the families. The
japanese make use OF similar custom.
though. in their case, the giving of presents
Is the most important part OF the whole
marriage ceremony, for after these have
been delivered and formally accepted,
neither OF the contracting parties is able
TO go back.
Wiie-pGF"hase appears TO have been The
basis OF Indo- European marriage before
the separation OF tie peoples took place.
Manu- mentions the Asura form OF ma rriage
as one OF purchase. and according 20 Aris-
totle the ancient Greeks were in tie habit
of buying their brides; for in tie HonIeric
age a maiden was called 10y a naine which
signiried "oTe who brings her parents
many oxen
The old Scartlinavians believed that even
the gods had paid price for their wives.
andin Germany nc expression "topurchase
Il wife, was in vogue until the end of the
middle ages. The old inhabitants of Ire
land and Wales were accustomed to buy
their wives with gold and silver or land.
In Servia at the beginning OF our century,
girls had reached such n priCr that PiSck
George reduced their value to one ducat
Among mnuy savage nations ti.s cIuiva-
lents OF n wife are varied and grotesque.
Poor RIshkirs purchase theirs with cart
loads of wood or hay: the Indian Kisans,
with two baskets OF rice and rupee;
tribe in California. with half a string of
dentalium shell and among the Padams,
Il rude people OF India. the suitor shows
his intentions by gifts Of field mice and
squirrels.