MARBIAGE. 253 



young man desires a partner, and is aide to support one, his mother 

 selects a girl according to her judgment or fancy, and invites her 

 to the hut, where she first takes the part of a "kir-gak" or servant, 

 having all the cooking and other kitchen duties to perforin during 

 the day, and returns to her home at night. If her conduct prove 

 satisfactory, she is further invited to become a member of the family, 

 and this being agreed to, the old people present her with a new 

 suit of clothes. The intimacy between the young couple appears to 

 spring up very gradually, and a great many changes take place before 

 a permanent choice is made. Obedience seems to be the great 

 virtue required, and is enforced by blows when necessary, until the 

 man's authority is established. In the ordinary course of events 

 life runs smoothly enough, and is only checked by a few lover's 

 quarrels or fits of sulkiness ; but it occasionally happens that the 

 husband finds his regard unrequited, and he either trusts to time to 

 overcome her indifference, keeping a strict watch over her conduct, 

 or he treats her with severity. The consequence of this is her re- 

 turn to her friends, whither he may follow and drag her back to his 

 hut. Repeated occurrences of this kind may take place and end in 

 permanent harmony ; but if his treatment has been cruel, which it 

 seldom is to their view, and her relatives not interested in enforcing 

 the union, she is taken back and protected from his farther violence. 

 We have been assured it sometimes happens that several men 

 entertain a passion for the same woman, the result of which is a 

 fight with bows and arrows, ending in the death of some of the 

 aspirants, and she falls to the lot of the victor. A man of mature 

 years chooses a wife for himself, and fetches her home, frequently, to 

 all appearance, much against her will ; but she manages in a wonder- 

 fully short time to get reconciled to her lot. A union once appa- 

 rently settled between parties grown-up is rarely dissolved ; though 

 we have seen a woman and her child residing with her relatives, 

 having been deserted by her husband, for what reason could not be 

 ascertained. The woman's property, consisting of her beads and 

 other ornaments, her needle-case, knife, &c, are considered her own ; 

 and if a separation takes place, the clothes and presents are returned, 

 and she merely takes away with her whatever she has brought. 

 Unless she has proved an untameable shrew she need not be appre- 

 hensive of remaining long single, as the proportion of males to 

 females in the population is more than eight to seven, besides 

 which several of the leading men have each two wives. 



Bigamy is evidently looked upon as a .sign .if wealth, and is in 

 many instances analogous to the adoption of children. Thus, if a 

 man is a trader and well oil', he may require the assistance of 



