59^ The Descent of Man. Part III. 



America repeatedly ran away from her husband and joined her 

 lover ; and with the Charruas of S. America, according to Azara, 

 divorce is quite optional. Amongst the Abipones, a man on 

 choosing a wife, bargains with the parents about the price. But. 

 "it frequently happens that the girl rescinds what has been 

 " agreed upon between the parents and the bridegroom, 

 " obstinately rejecting the very mention of marriage." She often 

 runs away, hides herself, and thus eludes the bridegroom. 

 Captain Musters who lived with the Patagonians, says that their 

 marriages are always settled by inclination ; " if the parents 

 '■ make a match contrary to the daughter's will, she refuses and 

 " is never compelled to comply." In Tierra del Fuego a young 

 man first obtains the consent of the parents by doing them some 

 service, and then he attempts to carry off the girl ; " but if she is 

 " unwilling, she hides herself in the woods until her admirer is 

 " heartily tired of looking for her, and gives up the pursuit ; but 

 " this seldom happens." In the Fiji Islands the man seizes on 

 the woman whom he wishes for his wife by actual or pretended 

 force ; but " on reaching the home of her abductor, should she not 

 " approve of the match, she runs to some one who can protect 

 " her ; if, however, she is satisfied, the matter is settled forthwith." 

 With the Kalmucks there is a regular race between the bride and 

 bridegroom, the former having a fair start; and Clarke "was 

 " assured that no instance occurs of a girl being caught, unless 

 "she has a partiality to the pursuer." Amongst the wild tribes 

 of the Malay Archipelago there is also a racing match ; and it 

 appears from M. Bourien's account, as Sir J. Lubbock remarks, 

 that " the race 'is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong/ 

 "but to the young man who has the good fortune to please 

 " his intended bride." A similar custom, with the same result, 

 prevails with the Koraks of North -Eastern Asia. 



Turning to Africa : the Kafirs buy their wives, and girls are 

 severely beaten by their fathers if they will not accept a chosen 

 husband ; but it is manifest from many facts given by the Eev. 

 Mr. Shooter, that they have considerable power of choice. Thus 

 very ugly, though rich men, have been known to fail in getting 

 wives. The girls, before consenting to be betrothed, compel the 

 men to shew themselves off first in front and then behind, and 

 '* exhibit their paces." They have been known to propose to a 

 man, and they not rarely run away with a favoured lover. So 

 again, Mr. Leslie, who was intimately acquainted with the Kafirs, 

 says, " it is a mistake to imagine that a girl is sold by her father 

 " in the same manner, and with the same authority, with which 

 " he would dispose of a cow." Amongst the degraded Bush- 

 men of S. Africa, " when a girl has grown up to womanhood 



