MOONET] MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE 233 



as her parents, and coutinnes to claim a sort of guardianship over her 

 even after her marriage. The marriageable age is about fourteen for 

 girls and sixteen for boys. In general the husband goes to live among 

 his wife's people instead of taking her to his own camp. The father 

 seems to exercise more control over his children than among tribes 

 having the clan system and mother right. There appears to be no fixed 

 rule of inheritance, but shield, tipi, and band name usually descend in 

 the male line. The husband avoids the mother-in-law, but not to the 

 same extent as among other plains tribes. Polygamy is allowed, but is 

 not frequent, only a few of the Kiowa now having two wives, and none 

 more than that number. In the old times it was more common, in con- 

 seiiueuce of the surplus of women resulting from the killing off of the 

 men in their constant wars. The father of T'ebodal is famous for having 

 had ten wives ; Quanah, the present head chief of the Comanche, has six. 

 It was common to marry sisters of the same family, and according to 

 tribal custom, which had analogy among the ancient Hebrews, the man 

 who married the eldest daughter had first claim upon her sisters. 



Divorce is easy and without ceremony, but not so common as might 

 be supposed, there being many couples that have lived faithfully togetlier 

 for nearly half a century. Adultery is punished bj^ taking or destroying 

 the property of the guilty man. The woman is simply "thrown away" 

 by her husband, although in theory her life is forfeited. In former times 

 he might kill her or cut off her nose, as was done also among the neigh- 

 boring tribes, but this latter custom is now only a memory. 



TEIBAi GOVERNMENT 



The tribal government was formerly committed to the care of a head 

 chief and the chiefs of the several bands, together with the war chiefs, 

 who had control in military affairs. Women had no voice in tlie gov- 

 ernment. From the evidences of tradition and the statements of old 

 men, the chiefs in former times, before tribal customs were demoralized 

 by the advent of the conquering race, must have exercised almost 

 despotic powers and were feared as well as respected by their people. 

 Their last great chief was Dohasiin, who died in 1866, since which time 

 no one has had the unquestioned allegiance of the whole tribe. The 

 present officially recognized head cliief is Lone- wolf, the adopted son of 

 the hostile leader of the same name in the last outbreak. The elder 

 Lone-wolf formally bestowed his own name upon the younger man in 

 1879, thus publicly recognizing him as his successor. Camp and cere- 

 monial reguhitions were enforced and their violation punished by the 

 Ya"pahe, acting under direction of the war chiefs. Tersonal grievances 

 were avenged by the injured party or by his nearest relatives, without 

 interference by the tribe. 



CHARACTEE 



In character the Kiowa are below the standard. Having been inti- 

 mately associated with them for some years, the author would be better 

 l)leased to make a ditt'ereiit showing, but truth compels the statement. 

 17 ETH 29 



