3 



are incessantly subject to being speared, wbicli invariably ends 

 in tbe death o£ one or both of the offenders. But should they 

 be lucky enough to live till they have an offspring, then all 

 quarrelling ceases, and the marriage is looked upon as legal. 



Elopements and stealing of " lubras " are of frequent occurrence, 

 and causes little or no row and fighting. It occurs only 

 among young people, and the old men — who very often have 

 several young lubras — are generally the sufferers. If a young 

 lubra fancies a man, and asks him to go away with her in the 

 bush, there is no quarrelling; but if a man takes or persuades a 

 lubra to run away with him it causes a row, and often ends in 

 fighting. After the parties have cohabited together for a night 

 or two, and like each other, they live together, and after a 

 while return to camp as man and wife. If, on the other hand, 

 they are not pleased with each other, they separate at once, 

 return to camp, and no more is said about it. 



In any kind of offence after the law — such as it is — is satis- 

 fied, not a vestige of enmity seems to remain, and the matter 

 in dispute is never referred to again. I have never known a 

 second quarrel to arise out of a dispute once disposed of. 



MAERIAGE. 



There is no ceremony connected with marriage ; in the 

 majority of cases it is arranged when the parties are mere 

 infants, and in many instances female children when born are 

 promised to men of all ages ; this accounts for so many middle- 

 aged and old men having mere children for wives. As soon as 

 the girl arrives at the age of puberty, and has undergone 

 certain ceremonies, she is handed over to her affianced 

 husband, whether young or old, who takes her to his 

 camp, and she then travels about with him wherever he 

 goes. If the husband is old, he very often has his young 

 lubra stolen from him by a young man who has not been lucky 

 enough to have one given to him, and in some instances young 

 lubras themselves propose to young men to run away with 

 them. If a young man has a sister not promised to any one, 

 he gives her to another man who has a sister similarly situated, 

 whom he takes in exchange. Sometimes, if a husband gets tired 

 of his wife, or she does not suit him, he gives her away to 

 another man, generally to one of another tribe ; but such 

 cases are by no means frequent occurrences. I have never 

 heard of a husband selling his wife, perhaps for the simple 

 reason that they have no real or personal property beyond a 

 few spears to give in exchange. 



Men often send their wives to each other for one or tv/o 

 nights, or to any favoured individual; this is looked upon as 

 a particular act of friendship. 



