'^ Administrative keport [eth. axn. 20 



woman of U, and so ou; and, tinally, a man of N must marry 

 a woman of A. Tribes themselves composed of clans unite 

 with other tribes also composed of clans; and as a result of 

 this consolidation into larger tribes there is found, in actual 

 study of the Amerinds, a great variety of systems, all having 

 the common feature of an incest group or clan, and provision 

 for bonds of friendship, which are perennially sealed by inter- 

 marriages. It thus happens that universally among the tribes 

 of America marriages are regulated by customary law; and 

 the parties married have no legal right to personal choice. 

 Yet there are often ways established by which the clan confirms 

 the personal choice. Though marriage is always regulated by 

 the elders of the clan, yet they often consult tiie wishes of the 

 candidates. There are three marriage customs, springing up 

 from time to time among the tribes, which require special 

 mention. 



A young man and a voung woman may form a clandestine 

 marriage and live apart in the forest, regardless of the consent 

 of the elders of the two clans involved, until a child is born, 

 provided the tabu is not violated; that is, that the two parties 

 do not belong to the same clan. 



There is another custom which tlie exigencies of life fre- 

 quently produce. A clan niav have many male candidates 

 for marriage, while the clan in which their brides are found 

 mav have few eligible women. Then the young man may 

 wish to marrv a woman in some clan other than that in which 

 his rights inhere. In such a case the wife may be captured; 

 but the capture is always a friendly one. If the girl has otlier 

 contestants for her hand, she must be won by wager of l)attle. 

 The battle is fought as a hand-to-hand conflict, without wea])- 

 ons other than those furnished by nature. 



A third custom is found, especially on the western coast of 

 North America, where men buy their wives. This seems to 

 occur in tlie case of polj'gann-, where the man who takes a 

 second or third wife not only remunerates the woman's clan, 

 l)ut makes presents to certain persons throughout the tribe who 

 might have an interest in disposing of the girl in some other 

 wa\-. This seems to be the case in many tribes where "pot- 

 latch" weddings are ol)served, and it mav be true in aU. 



