The Washington herald., 1913-09-23
Court Gossip of Interesting
EpentS on Two Continents

| grim and prepares as though he were
actually about to start on a long jour
| ney. He announces that he is going on
| molly pilgrimage to Benares, and
| leaves the house, accompanied by his
parents and friends. and, after passing
! the outskirts of the village, turns his
steps toward the east. At this point
his future father-in-law meets him,
and he is readily induced to return.
The important ceremony of tying the
kankana follows. The bride and bHde-
groom obtain two pieces Of saffron,
around which they tie a double thread.
After various prayers the bridegroom
takes one of the pieces of saffron and
ties it onto the brides left wrist: she in
turn ties the other piece to his right
wrist.
The most important ceremony OF all Is
the gift Of the bride. This is performed
by the brides father, who is supposed to
see in the bridegroom the great Vishnu.
Elaborate ceremonies are performed, and
finally the brides father holding beteI
in one hand and taking his daughters
hand in the Other. places her hand in that
Of her future husband, pOurs a LITTLE,
water over it, and gives him some betel.
the usual token of gift.
Numerous other ceremonies include the
fastening on Of the tall, the little gold
ornament which all married Brahmln
women wear around their neCks This Is
strung on a small cord. dyed yellow with
saffron water and composed of los very
fine threads closely twisted together. This
the husband ties around the brides neck,
and afterwards the bride and bridegroom
take handouts Of rice and shower them
over each other. The subsequent wedding
feast is of the most elaborate descrip-
ton. The ceremonies which occupy the
four following days are Of a similar
nature. The sacred fire used during the,
ceremony accompanies the bride and
bridegroom TO their new home to serve
as the domestic fire. 1t must be kept up
perpetually night and day and should it
be extinguished the guilt incurred there
by must be atoned for by a certain act
OF expiation.
The British Anti-Slavery Society has
forwarded to the India office a memo
randum with reference to the Boi sys-
TEN Of slavery prevalent in the Laushai
Hills OF India. The system is nothing
but slavery, and does not differ from the
reports on Indian slavery published a.
far back as 1S2S-lS57 and 1871. The acts
Of British officials and chiefs in the
Lushai Hills constitute marked depart
ure from the policy pursued almost IL
century ago by the late East India Com
pany, when slavery was not only pro-
hiNited in British territory, but by ar
rangement also in the Punjab States.
When famine occurred the state pro-
v:ded no relief. The victims sold their
children and themselves for a meal or a
small coin. and thus famine replenished
the slave market. II seems intolerabIe
that in an age when the obligation of
the State to relieve distress is so fully
poverty should still be al
lowed in small population in a district
Of Assam to NIL the houses and farms of
so-called chiefs with unpaid laborers.
When child has been brought up in
a chiefs house it is in some respects a
slave. Boys have to buy their release at
the cost of ''metna" When wives are
bought for slaves the children are slaves
There can be no doubt that this so-caIled
local custom involves the slavery NOT
only of grOwn-up persons whom poyertv
compels to sell their freedom for main
tenance, but of the children even Vet
unborn.
FL.ANEUR