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tion, and shouted '^ tneiika bitjirirama" — i.e., enemies are coming. 

 At first we would not believe it, until we espied a small troup of 

 natives approaching. We now took up our weapons and went 

 to meet them, whilst the others remained behind, though fully 

 armed. Both parties were requested to lay down their arms, 

 which they finally did, and we exhorted them to settle their differ- 

 €nces in peace. After a long discussion some of either side sat 

 down, embraced, and then cut small wounds into each other's 

 backs, so that they bled. The four who did this were the in- 

 tended victims out of 'revenge, and the avengers or intended 

 murderers. No evil has befallen these four since. 



m. MURDERERS. 



These are looked up to as heroes, notwithstanding their coward- 

 ice and cunning ; and death by spearing is counted as honorable, 

 although they are so terribly afraid of it. 



5. Family Life. 

 The family life of the natives is intimately connected with the 

 social eight-class system. A youth cannot select a bride for him- 

 self, or a girl her bridegroom. The betrothal is solely and abso- 

 lutely arranged by the father of the girl. He promises and con- 

 tracts his daughter, within the limits of the class, to whomsoever 

 he pleases, either to a gamena or rendera. The ))etrothal is often 

 made by the father soon after the girl is born from mercenary 

 motives, for it is seemly that the son-in-law prove himself grateful 

 by frequently handing over to his father-in-law and his bride part 

 of his hunting booty, and helping thus to provide for him in his 

 old age. The bridegroom, noatjinga, is thus usually several, 

 often many, years older than his bride, kurkibana, and cohabits 

 with her sometimes when she is only seven or eight years old, 

 a,nd still a mere child. As soon as she attains puberty, he claims, 

 and takes her away as his wife, without any initial ceremonies. 

 He may, perhaps, present his bride with a gulatja. i.e., necklace 

 of rat-tails, her father with a spear, etc., and her mother with 

 something else. The young woman builds a hut, and they live 

 together afterwards as man and wife, no special festivities taking 

 place. At most, the bridegroom may try to capture some game 

 on their way to his camp, which they, if he be successful, con- 

 sume together. If the young wife does not like her husband — a 

 by-no-means unusual thing — she soon runs away from him ; he 

 follows her, and when caught gives her a beating to make her 

 behave better in the future. Now, when the wife runs away, 

 she goes to white people, and the husband does not venture to 

 ill-use her, but has to wait until it pleases her to return of her 

 own will, and then gladly enough receives her. Very often it 

 happens that if the man has another, older, wife, she conceives a 



