224 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



has all the qualifications for making a woman happy; that 

 flie has only two children by him ; and, as her family is fo 

 fmall, fhe comes to foUcit their daughter for her hufband's 

 wife, that their families may te joined together, and be 

 ftrong ; and that her children, from their being few in 

 number, may not fall a prey to their enemies in the day of 

 battle ; for the Galla always fight in families, whether a- 

 gainft one another, or againft other enemies. 



When fhe has thus obtained a wife for her huiband, Ihe 

 carries her home, puts her to bed with her hufband, where, 

 having left her, Ihe fealls with the bride's relations. There 

 the children of the firft marriage are produced, and the 

 men of the bride's family put each their hands upon thefe 

 children's heads, and afterwards take the oath in the ufual 

 manner, to live and die with them as their own ofl'spring. 

 The children, then, after this fpecies of adoption, go to their 

 relations, and vifit them for the fpace of feven days. All 

 that time the hufband remains at home in pofTeffion of his 

 new bride ; at the end of which he gives a feaft, when the 

 firfl: wife is feated by her hufband, and the young one ferves 

 the whole company. The firft wife from this day keeps 

 her precedence ; and the fecond is treated by the firft wife 

 like a grown up-daughter. I believe it would be very long 

 before the love of their families would introduce this cu- 

 ftom among the young women of Britain. 



When a father dies and leaves many cliildren, the eldeft 

 fucceeds to the whole inheritance without divifion ; nor is 

 he obliged, at any time, or by any circumftance, to give his 

 brothers a part afterwards. If the father is alive when the 

 fon firft begins to Ihave his head, which is a declaration of 



manhood, 



