A CAFFER MARRIAGE. 239 



kraal, where she is never again to enter, and this 

 constitutes the whole ceremony. 



Mr. Morgan states, that he witnessed the celebra- 

 tion of a Gaffer marriage, shortly after his arrival 

 in the country, and that from repeated observations 

 since, he has found this to be the constant and un- 

 varied manner of its performance : " The bride," he 

 says, " was subject to the jests and ribaldry of the 

 party, and the poor abashed creature, from the 

 drooping head and glistening eye, appeared to be 

 passing a severe ordeal. After a time, during which 

 these lords of the creation seemed to enjoy the con- 

 fusion of the bride and her companions, the proces- 

 sion moved on towards a group of females. Her 

 former sufferings appeared to be nothing to what 

 she was now destined to endure; for abuse instead 

 of jests, and menaces in the place of ribaldry 

 now ensued. Some painted in the most dismal 

 colours what she would have to suffer now that 

 she was a wife, and others ridiculed the defects of 

 her person, calling on all the rest to observe them. 

 Their remarks were uttered in loud and discordant 

 tones, accompanied by the most violent and threat- 

 ening gestures ; so that at times I feared some harm 

 would befall the bride, but it was only a part of the 

 ceremony, and the concluding one ; for the old wo- 

 men suddenly threw their karosses over her, the 

 warriors from the kraals rushed forward and en- 

 closed her with their shields, and then hurried her 



