OF NORTHEASTERN BENGAL. 103 



the tribe by the branding of three marks. When grown 

 he marries of his free choice, but woe to him if he breaks 

 any of their marriage customs, for his life is in danger, 

 unless his father pays a heavy fine for him. In families 

 the father gives counsel and instruction in the customs of 

 old times, for they hold in high honor the memory of 

 their ancestors ; grown-up sons continue to live under the 

 authority of their parents, and many young families dwell 

 together under one roof in their father's house, cultivating 

 the ground in common. The oldest son is always named 

 after his grandfather, and the others after other relatives ; 

 they adopt as a rite the tonsure of their children. There 

 is great freedom between the sexes, and the old people 

 have the utmost confidence in the virtue of the young ; all 

 travellers agree that their women are remarkably chaste. 

 Marriage is generally arranged by the parents, though 

 many are love matches and happy ones. The average 

 price of a girl is five to six rupees, about $2.50 to $3.00, 

 with presents of cloth to her parents. The value of a 

 young girl may be as high as $4.00 or $5.00 ; a divorced 

 woman is worth $1.50, and a widow seventy-five cents to 

 a dollar, according to age and charms. A boy is mar- 

 riageable at sixteen, and a girl at thirteen years. The day 

 for the marriage being fixed, a knotted string indicates 

 the number of the days the bridegroom must wait; he 

 unties one knot each day, and when the string is clear, he 

 and his friends set out with noisy music for the bride's 

 residence. No priest oificiates, the meal eaten socially by 

 the groom and bride being the chief part of the ceremony 

 at a Santhal wedding, and, as they have been obliged to 

 fast all day, the appetite is generally good, and this feature 

 of the occasion well performed. She thus ceases to be a 

 member of her father's tribe, and becomes one of her hus- 

 band's family. The wife is usually kindly treated, and 



ESSEX INST. BULLETIN, VOL. XIX. 9 



