r>8 ACCUlNT OF ftlE WILD TRIBES 



luisband , he loses tlie dowry he has given 

 \o the woman; if the woman asks Ihe di- 

 vorce, she must return the dowry she re- 

 ceived. The children follow liie fatlier or 

 the mother according to tlieir wishes; if 

 tiiey have not yet the use of reason, they 

 follow tlie mother, 



BIHTII. 



No assistance is ordinarily given to lying- 

 in women; their physicians or Pawangs are 

 not permitted to appear in such circum- 

 stances, and mid wives are not known 

 amongst them. It is reported that, in seve- 

 ral tribes , the children , as soon as born, are 

 carried to the nearest rivulet, where they 

 are waslred, tiien brought back to the 

 Jiouse, where a fire is kindled, incense of 

 kamunian wood thrown upon it, and the 

 chdd then passed over it several times. We 

 know from liislory that the practice of pass- 

 ing children over hre was in ail times 



