470 



of the lady s falher, to whom at once the negoci- 

 ation is opened. If the latter accept the propo- 

 sal, he gives his daughter's horoscope in exchange 

 for that of his intended son-in-law, and the day 

 for the ceremony is then fixed. The three days 

 preceding that of the marriage are ret^pectt^ely 

 termed. '*Thedayfor peeling the onions/* "the 

 day for pounding the rice flour/' and "the day 

 for making the smnhnl, or chctny"' On the fourth 

 day, the bridegroom, whose duty it is to provide 

 an entertainment commensurate with his means, 

 -walks in procession, with music and banners, 

 round the town, his Tartar tail intervoven with 

 *red silk, and his t^^ o most intimate friends sup- 

 porting him on either hand, whilst the rest of his 

 companions follow in the rear. 



On his arrival at the brides house, he is receiv- 

 ed at the threshold either by his father-in-law, 

 or, more commonly, by a friend, who officiates 

 as Ma^ster of the Ceremonies, and who steps for- 

 ward, and, taking him by the hand, leads him in- 

 to the house, where he \% introduced to the father 

 of the bride. On all occasions the household gods 

 —the i/fraand Pemtes—of the Chinese, and the 

 asbesf of the deceased relatives, are placed up- 

 on a table in the receiving room, and to these the 

 bridegroom must bow in adoration previous to sa- 

 luting any of the company. The bride receives 

 her affianced lord at the door of an inner apart- 

 ment, into which no other individual is permitted 



* The #mbkro of joy, at while b of moortiing. 

 1 The CUlrteA« do not hurm, bni bury thftir deid. Tbe reason for my 

 tuing tHe tf.rm *'ubeft" be mtn when I come to trctt of the Cluiiei* 

 eeremonlei obscrted mt tbe dctLth of a rektive. 



