The sun., 1903-01-11
AN AFRICAN MARRIAGE MART.
The MAN BUYS A PIECE or CLOT n
AND THE GIRL GOES WITH IT.
but She Has Her Say by Fixing the Price
OF the Cloth 10 Any wouId-be Pur.
chaser-Dcscription OF Typical Deal.
From .he London Chronicle.

OF the Cloth 10 Any Wouid-be Pur
chaser-Dcscription OF Typical Deal
From .he London Chronicle.
famous Maria ge fair. or mart, Is held
yearly at the village Of Menguelet. ip the well.
known oasis on the wady Jema'n. in the Ke.
byle district Of Tunis. II takes place At the
end OF the harvest season. when the In gather
ing OF tho crops Is finished, the produce dis
posed Of. and the tribesmen Of tho country
flush with money as money IL reckoned
thcrcabouts. think OF adding q wife to the
other purchaser they always make for tho
ensuing twelve months.
Being within thirty milcs Of the Ait at the
time OF the market. rode over to sec how such
a show was organized and managed. In
the open space the da niscls are ran ged ready
for inspection In the marriage market There
they face the visitor, separated from the noisy
part Of the fair. ranged In fosr separatA
rows. and numbering. ! should aay. between
six and seven hundred. Each damsel Is
seated on small. biight-cOlored carpet spread
upon the ground, and each has negata-
Il sort of nurse, attendant and duenna COM
bincd--scatcd beside her. Conspicuot,sly dis
pla yed In front Of each. IN BORROWER. is u big
roll Of woven stuR This roll OF material
plays an important part In the maria We
negotia tons. and is always woven by the girl
herself. The young women are attired
In the most expensive and richest garments
the parents and relatives can secure.
They are painted. patched and powdered.
as is the invariabe custom OF kalybe be lles.
and wear sufficient rings. bangles, bracelets.
chains and brooches to stock small-sizcd
jewellers shop. These jewels are not by any
means always the property Of the girl or her
friends. In fact. they are mostly borrowed
or hired for the occasion. As there is a good
deal of rivalry between the different deheras
and kebails in regard to the appearance OF
their damsels in the marriage market there
is no difficulty In getting on loan as much
ornament Of the kind as the girl can carry
looking. II In not easy for stranger 70
decide upon the beauty Of a Berber maid. for
she tattoos the face as well as paints IL.
How Is sale and purchase effected? In
the simplest way imaginable; would-be
buyer has only to walk up to the carpet upon
the III he h.s ,Se S .; Is
in front Of her and ask the price. IL the young
woman on looking over the inquiring tribes
man is satisfied with him. she names very
low figure. the small sum OF ten pieces, which
is agreed upon among the several clans as
the equivalent OF acceptance.
II II not she merely 1u GoS.sd quotes high pEics
then understood that the offer is respect
fully declined and a deal is not likely to be
ol sr shs o. Of Ss1
family and the kebail to which they belong.
IL Ia liked, moreover. by immemorial usa ge,
81 50 that every % Young man man X. knows pretty well
only those who have the requisite means can
venture TO make an offer for any lot on view.
these young Berber beauties are by any
means prepared to yield themselves to the
first conner who can afford TO pay the r. cog
women are anything but the docile and
I@aSine. 1SS%. fiS They snjoy S" GOOD desi more
v lie in n like rank OF life. They unquestion-
,bly rule the domestic roost and know how
to use their wooden clogs. the kabkab, with
effect upon the bare pates of their
,pouses.
Thc satisfactory results OF such home dis
ipline IL apparent In the department Of the
watch the tribcsmen. young and middle
AGED. who make inspection OF them. out
Df the corners of their eyes, while they chatter
iway nonct alantly with their neeafas. They
brow amused plancfs at the more bashfui
II the young visitors. who cannot summon
ip courage enough 20 approach and put the
-olI 1G'e Of etafr % Wien one ~ % OF T them % does. a,
-n 9Th. come near to- try IL luck. II Is de-
ichtful to see low the girl raises her eyes.
rom top to toe and. II he does not strike
her fancy. dismisses lin with an onhsnd
answer and a toss of the head. Tie kabyle
have Or to IN
Tor their possession makes his appearance.
Tnon, indeed. their answer is as prompt as
! Is decided The nsSaisT e too know nx tns,r
fers are going. Wien .rromiAng. young
rlansman Is either too basnfu TO step forward
,r is likely TO pass on Wit out an hauiry ths
sleepy under her ample vi fte wimrle. sends
him n glance with the tail OF her eye that
brings i'm up TO the roll In an instant. and
Business goes on briskly while am looking
around and taking stock Of the lots on show.
! note half a, dozen deals concluded In less
kabvle damsci watch the no eeo,iations from
be- ginning to con clusion. She is quite
her ,s s nSsy h rrs osns ana S s,E- rmon c
ha. one of these she has twenty on cheek
nd 9n INK ha cn her sh hesd ' -
,nt. and fastened under the chin bv a ribbon
covered With small coins I po1i 4 smart,looSIns smart
.triding g along in his four-yard-lone train and
straw hat big enough to stow the girl in.
lie stops and looks at the girl. Comes nearer.
,omes TO his assistance at once: she. secs a
sa s1 Nv HIRRpy %5s' Of the sos old
,o mains stil And is the damsel NOT worth
e"STl s%fna q the viises' See. her face l- Golden
Is is the face OF the moon. Blessed will he
icr husband Come. then The clansman
,sRno, aEss on Tfs III. big E straw si hs snd hoians
n one hand. 40 that the. feather tmft hancs
iown ward. gin g~rly touches the roll OF stun
With the other, and asks the price.
The Eirl flashes up at i'm single glance.
,asts down her eyes as auicklj. and In Quiet
one gives the satisfactory response. Ten
,ieccs" The negafa holds out her right
iand. the young trtbesman holds out his.
% that the thumbs touch. Then from the
mouth OF the old duenna comes the most
,lood- d-curdllrg cry that ] have ever heard
m a at o from the human throat II Ia worsa
an' lam tie @Ta'aritt OF the Maroccan Jewesses.
sfich is as ear-splitting performance as
INV one could desire The shrek OF the
,egafa can only describe as resembling
he sound of the sylables "Yu-yu-yu-u-u-u.'
ons drawn out; uttered I. red q. a. loudly as l. !.
itch OF. the female voice. THIS is the signal
nat n deal has been effected. and a lot dis.
,osed Of The cry Is instantly taken up
" all the other negafas near. till the market
e;Hunds VIII Erisnts fs,., crowd sou. ssound.
orm Of conrratulations,. slrnifyinR literally |
Good. Every good" In less th an ten minutes |
he mnid' = father and brothers are on the
not. A hodia. or village scribe. Il sent for. |
ie comes with mollah. and the pair squat |
own upon the earth For three-ausrters |
nd thrrnts. and pesticulation. and ,weepins-
hen bag OF coins is produced by the young |
,an, carefully counted over by the father, |
'hile the hod ia on the ground and the mollah |
eside him nre writing out the marriage |
ontract. There and then signing and sealing |
Within an hour the girl b mounted on |
n nss with the rest of the owners purch ases |
" the winter season, and on the road to her |
ew home.
ra,ro,,. I,tunncler,s protect nj MAZE