THE EEGULATION OF NUMBERS 225 



observed, especially among the less skilled members of the com- 

 munity ; thirty is mentioned as a not uncommon age for marriage.^ 

 Among the Eskimos there is a very strong feeling that a boy must 

 show himself proficient in the difficult arts of hunting and fishing 

 as practised by them. A young man seldom marries until he is 

 over twenty, though often betrothed when an infant.^ Before that 

 age he cannot learn all the methods of hunting game, managing 

 a kayak, and so on. Marriage is considered impossible because he 

 would not be in a position to maintain his family, and it is the 

 necessity of showing that he is in this position before marriage is 

 allowed which is remarked upon by all observers of Eskimo life.^ 

 The usual form of marriage in America is by purchase.* As a rule, 

 the amount to be paid is relatively large, and the boy must either 

 spend some time in getting it together or else obtain it from his 

 father. At other times marriage is by service. Thus among the 

 Kenai the bridegroom performs a year's service,^ and among the 

 Haidahs boys were often betrothed at an early age and went to live 

 with the girl's family and worked for them until marriage.^ A Seri 

 bridegroom leaves his own family and enters that of the bride for 

 a year ; ' he must display and exercise skill in turtle fishing, 

 strength in the chase, subtlety in warfare and all other physical 

 quaHties of competent manhood '.' Among the Jakun a husband 

 ' is expected to provide a hut, cooking pots and other necessary 

 articles such as will suffice to enable house-keeping to be started 

 with reasonable comfort '.^ Among the Fuegians ' as soon as 

 a youth is able to maintain a wife by his exertions in fishing and 

 bird catching, he obtains the consent of her relations, and does 

 some piece of work, such ab helping to make a canoe, or preparing 

 sealskins '.^ 



' Curr, Aiistralian Race, vol. i, p. 110 ; Dawson, loc. cit., p. 35; Smyth, loc. cit., 

 vol. ii, p. 291 ; Malinowski, loc. cit., p. 259 ; Lumholtz, Amowj Cannibals, p. 184. 

 ^ Crantz, loc. cit., p. 158 ; Boas, 6th A. R. B. E., p. 579. 



^ Crantz, loc. cit., p. 158 ; Boas, 6th A. R. B. E., p. 579 ; Klutschak, loc. cit., 

 p. 233 ; Nansen, Greenland, vol. ii, p. 230 ; id., Eskimo Life, p. 139 ; Murdoch, 

 9th A. R. B. E., p. 104. ' There is a superstition ', says Dall, speaking of the Eskimos 

 of Alaska, ' that a youth must not marry until he has killed a deer, otherwise he 

 will have no children ' (loc. cit., p. 196). 



* Handbook of American Indium, Article ' Marriage '. ^ Bancroft, loc. cit., 



vol. i, p. 134. For the Kutchins see Richardson, Arctic Searching Expedition, 

 vol. i, p. 407, and for the inhabitants of Cadiack, Lisiansky, Voyage, p. 198. 

 ' Swanton, Jesup North Pacific Expedition, vol. v, p. 50. ' MacGee, 



17th A. R. B. E., p. 280. For further details of marriage by service among the 

 Indians see Carver, loc. cit., p. 373, and Domenech, loc. cit., vol. ii, p. 300. 

 « Skeat and Blagden, Malays, vol. ii, p. 70. ' King and Fitzroj', loc. cit., 



vol. ii, p. 182. See also Bridges, loc. cit., p. 201. 

 2498 p 



