Daily Kennebec journal., 1898-05-18
GETTING MARRIED.
fRlBULATlONS OF A WHITE COUPLE
IN THE FRENCH kONGO.

Sending Across :hc Sea For Their Parents
Conscnt-A Wedding Canoe With Its
Black CYcw-Thc Happy Couple said
"Oui" All nEight-DrenchedG Going Homo.
Six years ago Il small party OF white per-
sons wended their way by canoe to tha
house of a French official in the French
kongo. Two of the party intended to he
married. Being Americans, both lmagiNeu
that they would be able to procure license
quite easily, not knowing how much red
tape it takes to satisfy France. Their only
witness was q French lady, the teacher au
the mission school. The French command
ant soon explained that, first of oil, the con-
sent of the governor of the colony was nee
essary. To gain this consent the appllca-
ton must be signed by four witnesses, All
men over 20 years of age. Soon the VIZ
ncsses were procured, and they testified to
the existence of the intended bride ana
groom; SO the paper was drawn up, sigh
ed and left at the pest TO be sent TO the
governor
The wedding party returned and waited.
A little over six weeks passed, when notice
arrived shat the license could not be grant
ed, inasmuch as the birth certificates of the
contracting parties and the consent of
their parents would be necessary. In case
their parents were dead their marriage and
death certificates would be required. There
was nothing to do but to write home and
wait again. The documents which the eX-
pectant bridegroom required arrived after
about four months, but these of the brldo
did not come until ten months after the
first application was made for the license,
her father living in the wiids of western
Nebraska 20 miles from anywhere
After all the papers were ct hand the
commandant visited the bridegroom and
requested him to go to his office to arrange
everything, so that after a delay of two
weeks the ceremony might be performed.
These two weeks would be needed to give
every one living in the neighhorhood u
chance TO digest tho news of the approach
ing marriage, and i'll ease any one knew of
any impediment in the way to enable him
to inform the government. For convent
ence a paper was nailed up at the post an.
nouncing the facts. Another was posted
at the house of the couple to be married, it
being the only other public place i'll that
vicinity. Since the natives could not read
the paper had to be explained every time
one of them saw it.
At last the wedding day dawned, a Sat
urday being chosen for the occasion. Ev-
erything was in readiness the day before
so hat there could be an early start on
this eventful day. The canoe. about 30 feet
long and feet broad, had been fixed up
with an awning from sailcloth easy chairs
being placed for the wedding party OF four
bride, groom, bridesmaid and an inti-
mate friend who acted as best man. The ma
tlves, IA in number, who padded the car 90
were seated on planks fastened across the
caEoe
About 5 O'Clock, an hour before sunriac,
the canoe left tho station. The groom had
taken it upon himself TO steer. The voyage
was quiet and peaceful until some one
| shouted IN Phuboo.' Every one looked,
but the hippopotamus had already distp-
| peared to rise again at II distance. The
water was without Il ripple and the trees
were mirrOred in its depths. The banks on
| both sides seemed adorned i0r n feast, 81
| many beautiful colOrs We're TO be seen in
! the trees. Everywhere the cries of birds
| and monkeys We're to be heard, the rising
| sun disturbing the sieepers Often the
/ howl Of the Eyenh made discord in these
| melodies. After travelling about nine miles
II place called Pilla \ Cumbia (Thirsty
! Stc&nier) was reached. Here the river
/ widens into Il lake three miles across. On
this morning the water was like glass, al,
though its waves had often swamped
canoes An hours strong pull across this
| lake, and the river narrowed again. Here
| they say l,Onkeys used to cross, forming q
| bridge by hanging to each others tails.
The tide going down strongly soon
| brought our wedding party to its desti-
nation, Il little after 9 Il. III. 4 German
merchant had invited them to lis house
and also prepared to spread the wedding
| breakfast. He being the oldest among the
| Europeans, claimed the right 10 give away
the bride. After they had rested little
and were joined by the necessary witnesses,
they all proceeded to the French pest, fol
lowed by a crowd of Africans who wanted
to see this strange performance AT the
post everything was unusually rice. One
could see that they had been very busy
preparing to do justice 80 this grand occa-
sion. Even new carpet graced the floor.
Monsieur the cOnimandant received the
bridal party at the door and took them to
their different seats, and chairs were placed
for the couple to lie married at the foot OF
the table, while the representative OF
France took the head The witnesses and
Others were seated at the sides.
After oil were seated monsieur proceeded
with the ceremony. He read very rapidly,
but it was over half an hour before he
calrc to the momenfous question and ask
ed the bride and groom to say "oui." They
said "oui, and then he asked them to
sign a large document. After the sigma
lures of the witnesses followed congratu-
lations, and all was over until seated
around the table at the German factory.
len white people partook of this breakfast,
which could not be surpassed in tropical
Africa. About 3 p. N. the canoe was ready
and all the white people came to the river
beach to see the newly married couple off
The bridesmaid and best man returned
with them Throwing old shoes and rice
after the canoe was now the order of the
day. The return voyage at first was as
pleasant as the morning journey, only the
sky was little cloudy and IL tornado was
coming up After Passing the big lake the
clouds began to look darker the lightning
uashing on all sides, and the river seemed
TO boil, the water was so rough Soon the
roaring of the wind and rushing of the
coming rain told of danger
The canoe was out in the middle of the
river when the wind struck it, There was