MARRIAGE CEREMONIES. 91 



is led in, walking on his hind legs, and is pierced 

 through the heart with an assegai by the master 

 of the ceremonies, who afterwards beheads the 

 white cock with the same assegai. The entrails 

 of both are then carefully consulted to find out 

 if the marriage will be lucky or unlucky, and 

 both bride and bridegroom have to taste a little 

 bit of them just as they come from the bodies. 

 This nasty custom concludes the ceremony. The 

 sacrificed goat and cock are speedily cooked, and 

 the marriage feast begin?, accompanied by much 

 drinking of rum and native beer, and the usual 

 singing and dancing afterwards. The merry- 

 making is kept up for two or three days, accord- 

 ing to the wealth in the family, as usual in all 

 feasts. 



The women till the ground, and do all the hard 

 work, and their earnings support the man, who 

 is only obliged to provide them with clothes. 

 Many quarrels take place amongst the wives on 

 this subject -one declaring that another has more 

 beautiful capalanes than those given to herself, 

 and evidently thinking favouritism not fair. 



