RoTH] MARRIAGE, POLYGAMY, DIVORCE, WORK 671 
food before him during the course of a visit. If he eats of it, the 
marriage is concluded; if not, the father knows that their wishes 
do not correspond (SR, u, 497). But with the Island Carib there 
were occasionally circumstances when the young man dared not 
refuse the girl so offered him. Thus, when they returned with suc- 
cess from their wars. . . the captain gave an account of the success 
of their expedition, and commended the generosity and gallantry of 
those that had behaved themselves valiantly. .. It was ordinarily 
at the end of that discourse that fathers of families who had 
marriageable daughters took occasion to present them for wives to 
those among the young men whose performances they had heard so ° 
much celebrated and whose courage and undauntedness in fighting 
had been so highly commended. There was an emulation among 
them who should get such for their sons-in-law; and he who had 
killed most enemies had much ado that day to escape with one wife, 
so many would there be proffered to him; but cowards and persons 
of no worth were wanted by none, for, to be married among them 
there was a necessity of being courageous. .. Happy did the father 
think himself. . . who could first approach and seize about the body 
some one of those valorous sons-in-law whom the captain had 
commended, for there was nothing to be expected for that time by 
him that came next; and the marriage was concluded as soon as the 
other had said to the young man, “I bestow my daughter on thee 
for thy wife.” The like expression from a mother was effectual. 
And the young man dared not refuse the daughter when she was 
thus presented to him; but it was requisite that, whether she were 
handsome or unhandsome, he took her to wife (RO, 545-546). 
In Cayenne there is Barrére’s evidence that most commonly it 
was the women who made the first advances for the boys. The 
mothers especially choose the young men who will suit their daughters 
best; and if the girls have lost their mothers before arriving at 
marriageable age, the nearest relative looks after this for them. 
The acceptance of food, etc., by the man from the girl is evidence of 
his agreement to the proposal (PBA, 220). 
874. Both on the islands and on the mainland, certainly in Cayenne 
(PBA, 223), it was customary for the Carib to marry their cousins 
german as a matter of right. Thus, they have a privilege to take 
all their cousins german, and have no more to say than that they 
take them for their wives; for they are naturally reserved for them, 
and they may carry them to their houses without any other ceremony, 
and then they are accounted their lawful wives (RO, 544). When 
it happens that anyone among them hath no cousins german, or that 
having stayed too long ere they took them to wife, their friends 
have disposed of them to others, they may now marry such as are 
