96 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 43 



houseljold, such as crushing n]aiz(> or Turkey wheat {hied dc Turquic), which 

 the savages use Instead of bread and which is the only grain they cultivate. 

 A savage amuses himself little by sighing to obtain a girl who pleases him. On 

 carrying some presents to the house of her father and regaling the family of his 

 mistress she is grantcnl to him on the spot, and he leads her into his cabin. 

 * * * The savages rarely marry outside of their nation ; the small amount 

 of unity which there is between these nations is the cause of it." 



When a boy has determined to marry a girl they go into the woods together, 

 and while the boy is hunting the girl makes a cabin of boughs in the woods and 

 lights a fire near the cabin. When the boy has returned from the chase, having 

 killed a bison or a deer, he brings a quarter of it to the cabin, and then they go 

 to search for the rest. After they have returned to the cabin they roast a 

 piece of it, of which they make their supper, and the next day they together 

 carry the products of the chase to their village, into the house of the girl's 

 father and mother. They inform the relatives, to each of whom is given a 

 piece of game, which they carry to their houses. The boy and the girl dine 

 with the father and mother of the latter, and finally the boy leads the girl 

 away as his wife to his house, where she remains. Then it is no longer per- 

 mitted her to go to the dances of the boys and girls, nor to have commerce with 

 any man but her husband. She is obliged to work within the house. Her hus- 

 band is permitted to repudiate her if he finds that she has been unfaithful to 

 him, until she has a child by him.'' 



It would seem, however, that a man might and often did dispose 

 of his wife's favors himself. This is stated in the following account 

 b}^ Charlevoix: 



The marriages of the Natchez are very different from those of the savages 

 of Canada. The principal difference we find in them consists in the fact that 

 here the future spouse begins by making, to the relations of the woman, such 

 presents as have been agreed upon ; and that the wedding is followed by a 

 great feast. The reason why there are few but the chiefs who have several 

 wives is that, as they can get their fields cultivated by the people without any 

 charge, their wives are no burden to them. The chiefs marry with less cere- 

 mony St. 11 than the others. It is enough for them to give notice to the relations 

 of the woman on whom they have cast their eyes that they place her in the 

 number of their wives. But they keep one or two in their cabins; the others 

 remain with their relations, where their husbands visit them when they please. 

 No jealousy reigns in these marriages. The Natchez lend one another their 

 wives without any difficulty, and probably from this proceeds the readiness with 

 which they part with them to take others." 



[The ceremonies of] marriage, says Le Petit — 



are very simple. When a young man thinks of marrying he has only to 

 address himself to the father of the girl, or if she have none, to her oldest 

 brother, and they agree on the price, which he pays in skins or merchandise. 

 Even when a girl has lived a licentious life, they make no difficulty in receiving 

 her if there is the least idea that she will change her conduct when she is 

 married. Neither do they trouble themselves as to what family she belongs 



" Luxembourg M^^moire sur La Louisiane, 137-139. It must be i-emembered that It is 

 not certain with what tribes this writer was most familiar, but from what he says it 

 appear.s clear that they lielongpcl to lower Louisiana and that the Natchez was one 

 of them. 



'' P<?nicaut in Margry, I)6couvertes, v, 4-1S-440. 



"Charlevoix in French, Hist. Coll. La., IGG, 1851. 



