Hijîorical Journal of 



fied Couple are together a whole Year, living in a perfe£l C3on- 

 tinence : This is, they fay, to Ihew that they married for Frien^- 

 fhip, and not to gratify a fenfual Paflion. A young Woman 

 would even be pointed at that fliould happen to be with Chi/d 

 the firll Year of her Marriage. 



After this it will be ealier to believe what is faid of the young 

 People's Behaviour, during their Courtfliip in the Places where 

 they are allowed to fee one another in private. For though 

 Cuftom allows them to have very private Meetings, yet in the 

 greatell: Danger that Chaility can be expofed to, and even un- 

 der the Vail of Night, they fay, that nothing paiTes againft the 

 Rules of the Urifteil: Decorum, and that not even a Word is 

 fpoken that can give the leafl OlFence to Modefty. I make Ac^ 

 count. Madam, that you will approve my not entering into a 

 Detail on this Subjed, which fome Authors have done ; it 

 would make the Thing appear Hill more improbable. 



I find in all that has been written of the Preliminaries and 

 Of the Ceremo ^^^^^^^onies of the Marriages of thefe Peo- 

 mies of Ma P^^ various Accounts, proceeding either from 



/ arriage. the différent Cuftoms of divers Nations, or 

 from the little Care the Authors of Relations took to be 

 well informed : Furthermore, the whole appeared to me to be 

 io YiIxXq worthy your Curioflty, that I thought it not worth 

 my while to enquire a great deal about it. The Hufband that 

 is to be, mufc -make Prefents, and in this, as in every Thing 

 -elfe, nothing can exceed the Difcretion with which he behaves, 

 and the refpeélful Behaviour which he fliews ^o his future 

 Spoufe. In fome Places the young Man is contented to go and 

 iit by the Side of the young Woman in her Cabin, and if foe 

 fuifers it, and continues in her Place, it is taken for her Con- 

 ient, and the Marriage is concluded. But in the midil of all 

 this Deference and Pvcfped, he gives fome Tokens that he wilj 

 loon be Mailer, In Facl, among the Prefents Ihe receives, there 

 are ibme which ought lefs to be regarded as Marks of Friend- 

 ihip, than as Symbols and Notices of the Slavery to which Ihe 

 is going to be reduced: Such are the Collar, (^/s:^ the Kettle, 

 and a Billet, which are carried to her Cabin. This is to let 

 Jier know, that fhe is to^'carry the Burdens, drefs the Provifions, 

 and get Wood for Firing. The Cuflom is alfo in fome Places 

 for her to bring before- hand into the Cabin where flie is to 

 dwell after Marriage, all the Wood that will be wanted for the 

 next Winter. And it is to be obferved, that in all I have juft 

 iaid, there is no Difference between the Nations, where the 



( a) This Colîar is that which I have mentioned before ; that is to fay, 

 ^■9n^ and broaii Band of Leather which ferves to draw Burdens. 



Wome» 



