The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-03

cut or burned for the purpose of max
ing those beauty marks. / have seen
the whole body covered with little
gashes which the doctor was making
and filing with what appeared to be a
mixture of charcoal and ashes. You
may be sure that girl sold for an extra
price on account of great beauty, when
she came TO a manageable age
The usual price Of a wife is ten
cows, but for high rank, such as a
kings daughter, unusual beauty or wo-
manly accomplishments, the price Of
ten goes as high as fifty head. The girl
has nothing to say about the choice of
a husband, unless the family has
CHANGED to come under Christian infiu-
ences, in which case she is often the
first to speak on the subject. But
among the tribes where the old GUS
toms prevail the man bargains with the
father of the girl and when matters
are arranged the nuptials are celebrat-
ed. These celebrations consists of the
conducting of the bride. by her rela-
tives and friends to the kraal of the
groom. The bridal dress consists of
two garments, the hide of an OK tan
ned soft with the hair on the outer
side, stained black and adorned about
the edges with brass buttons. This gar
ment is wrapped about the body,
reaching from waist to knees, while
the breast is covered by a blue cloth,
hanging loosely from the neck to
shoulders. The price of the wife, the
herd of COWS. always forms an inter-
esting part of the wedding procession
as both parties take pride in the dis
play. During the feasting and dancing
at these weddings the bride sits to one
side wailing and lamenting. That is the
proper conduct for "a girl in her posi-
ton, although they are as a rule glad
enough to be married
Upon reaching the manageable age
both men and women shave their heads.
The men leave a circle on the top and
the women q tuft of hair This tuft of
hair. which is on the crown of the head,
is smeared with a mixture = grease
and red ochre, and gathered so a sort
of crest or topknOt. Their clothing IN
til they don their bridal costume. con-
sists principally of beads. brass jewelry
and numerous strings of charms. Ma
tive fathers are not in favor of cloth
ing their daughters as they consider it
a useless expense. Legally a woman
has no rights. but her father has and
unless her husband can show Just
grounds for complaint he can not rid
himself of his wife. Their process by
law is exceedingly tedious and that fact
y
a divorce.
in the mission schools we find that
the native girls show a decided aptitude
for everything which we endeavor to
teach them excepting truth and arith-
metic They fall far short in these two.
The natives, and I mean practically
all the tribes, are anxious for the Eng
lish to come out victorious in the South
African war OF all the white men they
prefer an Englishman and dislike the
B0er. / know President Kruger and
believe that he is perfectly sincere in
the stand he takes. He is fighting for
what ne believes is the best for his
country, but I do not think any one who
has lived in South Africa wishes for
the success of the Beers. English rule
means the opening up Of South Africa,
the civilization of the natives; while
for the Beers to dominate means just
the reverse.
LAFAYETTE MLAWS.