The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-10-06
MARRIAGES MADE ny ANTS.
How he Insects Select Husbands Tor
she Suu Maidrns.
Denver Republican

Denver Republican.
W. l. Balsc, merchant " Manila,
Is at the Brown Palace hotel lie has
recently been travelling q the .s,and Il
Sulu Tor a month. and tells ~ some
curioIs marriage cus;omrs said he;
a mos; curious custom Is to b.
found IN that ISLAND I; obtains only
among some ~ the morn savage tribes
u the Tar Interior. called the Kakko-
ha,,chochka Il wont swear 10 the
spelling .r,be Thesr sayagcs arr very
primitive people ind,,'l. and very say.
axe In their manners ot lie There are
no, above 10000 " this ,r,b'. ana they
1--we IN the mountains u the Interior,
The way their young women are given
In marriage IL worth going miles 20 see.
I saw the ceremony last month. and I
shall not soon forge Il.
''Wh-n young woman comes TO
the age ~ II she Is deemed marriage
able A notice Is given on, hy the town
crler thst On certain day the young
woman viii b. given IN marriage. This
day l. within a month ~ the fourteenth
birthday ot ;he lady concerned, and IS
chosyn by her. according 20 ancient Gus
tom And the choosing ~ The day. by
the way. is all that 'he bride Eas 20 say
about the marriage The crler also a
few days later. calls ~, the dOwry ~
the bride. AMI proclhlms her charms
aloud in he market place. So an IN"
population IS notified ami goodly
crowd n admirers gather to take their
chance Tor the fair lady. The near rcla-
tlyes NJ IN. bride and The contestants
who have previously given their names
In to H.. father II ,he girI-and a crowd
~ perhaps 100 PERSONS. II the young wo-
man e. the daughter ~ man ~ Inn
por,nnc-. gather tp -ee tho show.
"Ou the morning " the marriage the
bride b. .aken out by her maids and
rovned with lilies. and clad In white,
Then. wiki much drum beating she ~
led forth, and passes among IN. sultors.
AMI klsses each IN turn Then she II
wrea,hel with more flowers ana Is
seated tu watch the fun
Now. m thar island " Suu hey
have a kind u an, that puzzles IN"
scientists. Tor IL mas a double Sc. ot
ma1dibIes, one above and one below the
head. and both entirely lniepenien. IN
action. These ants play leading part
in the marriage ceremony The night
before the ceremony the village priest
goes out by the .gh. of the moon and
opens an ant nill win secret rites and
carefully selects some ants equal In
number to The number u sutors. Th"se
are kept with care
After the bride has kissed all the
sui.o.s in turn they 20 out 10 The nut
where the ants are kept. The priest II
there. and h. takes an ant by the body
and allows Il 20 fasten the lower man
1lbla 10 the fyrennger u the right hand
~ Young man. These ans are about
an inch and a half long and have the
most fer1cloIs bite you can Imagine.
Then, each suitor with an ant hanging
To his forhngar The young men 80 back
10 the pre- sence ~ the bride. Then
there ar. long and elaborate rites, while
the young men go around ana dance be-
fore the bride. each with a monstrous
ant hanging to his finger Then she Is
blndfol1ed. and the young mei are
lined up for the selection.
The drums are beaten with renewed
yigor and The bride goes along the line
of the sutOrs and lnserts her foreHnger
In the upper mandible Of the ans that
hang to the fingers of the sultors. each |
In turn. The first ant that closes his
pincer on the digit Of the fair lady wins |
her for the man 10 whose finger Il ls
hanging. Then the chosen bridegroom |
strikes the ant to the ground and crush
as Il with his heel and In comes the
oripst and marrles the couple Alter
ward the ants that have been used in |
the ceremony are taken out and cooked, !
and a portion Is given 10 each guest to
be eaten like the wedding cake In civil
zed lands"