23' 



purify ItciBeil by bailjiiij^, and by do- 

 in^ so, she ni:({i]iir{»i the v'ighl to re-a[H 

 peiir. 



Tho moat remarkaljla period iii the 



fiofc be fiimtTWMbd williiii the Ibitietli 

 ilij^ree of refaLtiantiUlji, — Tlie day of the 

 ntiptiuk arrtvt!H, and itiegiicstit meet hi 

 thu ftppiHiiUsd pliic^. WJicu all arc ii^* 

 86 m bled, mid fill ready^ the hrltiti mid 

 brrdcj^mnii) arc ieU by i>n@ of the old 

 men of the trlb^;^ towards a circle more 

 or less great, accordiogf to tlic presum- 

 ed f^treiij^th of the intendt^d p«iir ^ the 

 ^irl runs round first, and the young man 

 pursues a short dbtancu behind i if he 

 succeed hi reaching her and retaining 

 h«r, she liei monies his wife ; if notj lie 

 loAes nil claims to her. At uTher tlin^j^i 

 a larger field ts appointed fur the trial, 

 and they ptir!^iie one another in tlie 

 forest. The raee, acctirdiug^ to tht- 

 ivorris of the chronicle, ** lA iwt tu the 

 ftwlft nor the hat lie to the i^troiiq:"' but 

 to the young mau who hus had the good 

 fortune to please the in tended bride. 



Chance li^i^ destined me, in fhe 

 course of my travels throuf^h llie Pe- 

 inn&uia, to be present nt several Man- 

 tras marriEi^'CH, and I will give an 

 «xact desicnptiou of wh^l I have 

 i^u : Tlie bride, who was clothed by 

 her companiuus. tn her Jine^tt at- 

 tire, was coodutited to the centre of the 

 assembly I whtsre she tcmk her place 

 close in iicr luture hu^bnud, who, 



