770 TBE DESCENT OF MAN 



aal or pretended force; but "on reaching the home of her 

 abductor, should she not approve of the match, she runs to 

 some one who can protect her; if, however, she is satisfied, 

 the matter is settled forthwith." With the Kalmucks there 

 is a regular race between the bride and bridegroom, the for- 

 mer having a fair start; and Clarke "was assured that no 

 instance occurs of a girl being caught, unless she has a 

 partiality to the pursuer." Among the wild tribes of the 

 Malay Archipelago there is also a racing match; and it 

 appears from M. Bourien's account, as Sir J. Lubbock re- 

 marks, that "the race 'is not to the swift, nor the battle 

 to the strong,' but to the young man who has the good 

 fortune to please his intended bride." A similar custom, 

 with the same result, prevails with the Koraks of North- 

 eastern Asia. 



Turning to Africa: The Kaffirs buy their wives, and 

 girls are severely beaten by their fathers if they will not 

 accept a chosen husband; but it is manifest, from many 

 facts given by the Eev. Mr. Shooter, that they have con- 

 siderable power of choice. Thus very ugly, though rich, 

 men have been known to fail in getting wives. The girls, 

 before consenting to be betrothed, compel the men to show 

 themselves off, first in front and then behind and "exhibit 

 their paces. ' ' They have been known to propose to a man, 

 and they not rarely run away with a favored lover. So 

 again, Mr. Leslie, who was intimately acquainted with the 

 Kaffirs, says, "it is a mistake to imagine that a girl is sold 

 by her father in the same manner, and with the same au- 

 thority, with which he would dispose of a cow." Among 

 the degraded Bushmen of South Africa, "when a girl has 

 grown up to womanhood without having been betrothed, 

 which, however, does not often happen, her lover must 

 gain her approbation, as well as that of the parents." " 



'« Azara, "Voyages," etc., torn. ii. p. 23. Dobrizhoffer, "An Account of 

 the Abipones, " vol. ii., 1822, p. 207. Capt. Musters, in "Proc. B,. Geograph. 

 See," vol. XV. p. 41. Williams on the Fiji Islanders, as quoted by Lubbock, 

 "Origin of Civilization,"' 1810, p. 19. On the Fuegians, King and FitzBoy, 

 "Voyages of the Adventure and Beagle, " vol. ii., 1839, p. 182. On the Kal- 



