A HUN THROUGH KATHIAWAIJ. i>r>9 



and when they interfere beneficially at the present 

 time, it is chiefly in the way of persuading their lords 

 to avoid Tiummba, and to devote themselves to the 

 development of their landed property. The infernal 

 system of Hindu widowhood does not exist among 

 them ; and though it is the invariable custom to 

 marry the wife of a deceased elder brother to the 

 next oldest brother, older brothers are not obliged to 

 many the Avidow of a deceased younger brother ; and 

 if there is no younger brother for the widow to saddle 

 herself upon, she may marry whom she pleases. This 

 custom is rather hard upon younger brothers, but they 

 do not count for much even in England. In the 

 marriage customs there is a distinct trace of primitive 

 capture by marriage. When the bridegroom goes to 

 take away his bride, her relatives and friends assail 

 him and his party with stones and sticks, and he can 

 only carry her off by violence or by coming to some 

 compromise with her defenders. One very curious 

 and almost unique custom the Kathis have is, that 

 when a mother dies, her relations not only take away 

 the children from the widower, but also carry away 

 all his movable property at the same time, with the 

 exception of one brood-mare. The custom of the 

 race does not allow him to make the slightest resist- 

 ance to this despoilment ; and his children are brought 

 \\p by the relatives of his deceased wife. This custom 

 certainly affords a very efficient protection against 

 wife-murder, and probably sprang up in a state of 



