160 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [JuNK, 



was done every six months, by old women, with pieces of sharpened 

 flint, but now every fortnight by means of bits of broken glass bot- 

 tles. This custom is evidently a sanitary one, as the jungle is so 

 full of insects, that it would be impossible to keep the hair free 

 from vermin. 



They marry as soon as they are able to support a wife, and I un- 

 derstood that the rule was, only to have one. The youthful swain eats 

 a peculiar kind of ray fish termed Goom-dah, which gives him the 

 title to the appellation of Goo-mo, signifiying " a bachelor desirous 

 of marrying." Girls, arriving at a marriageable age, wear certain 

 flowers, to distinguish themselves by. Before marrying, young 

 men take a species of oath, after which they sit very still for sever- 

 al days, scarcely taking any food. Those who have been pig hun- 

 ters refrain for one year, commencing in April, from eating pork, 

 using turtle, tortoise or fish instead, but they do not cease hunting 

 pigs, as they are necessary for the food of the tribe. The turtle 

 hunters in like manner use pork during this probationary year, and 

 during this period honey must not be tasted. This is apparently 

 done for the purpose of ascertaining whether the individual is able 

 to support a family. 



The marriage ceremony is simple, a man about 16 or 18 is en- 

 gaged to a girl of 13 or 15 belonging to a different family, with the 

 consent of the girl's guardian, who is generally the chief of the 

 tribe. On the marriage day, they are seated apart from the others, 

 and pass their time in staring at one another. As the shades of 

 the evening set in, the girl's guardian advances, and taking the 

 hands of the pair joins them together ; they then retire into the jun- 

 gles, where they pass their honey-moon. On the bridegroom's return 

 to the tribe with his bride Jeedgo, crying and dancing are kept up 

 with great spirit. Subsequent to marriage, they are not so useful 

 as previously for the general welfare of the community, the married 

 woman, termed Chamah, has now to erect her husband's hut and 

 attend to his requirements, consequently she is not ordered about 

 by the chief. 



The wife has to perform all the home duties, providing shelter, 

 mats for lying upon, cooking the food, procuring water and sliell 

 6flh, carrying loads when changing from place to place, shaving 



