58 
MARRIAGE CUSTOMS. 
6 March, 
I next introduced mjself to a female party, and without further 
ceremony sat down in the midst of the group. It was a mixture of 
young and old, of mothers and daughters. They were engaged in 
no occupation, excepting that of talk ; and in this, my presence was 
very far from being an interruption ; it doubled their loquacious 
industry. But I have great pleasure in making the remark, that the 
natural bashful reserve of youth and innocence is to be seen as much 
among these savages, as in more polished nations : and the young 
girls, though wanting but little of being perfectly naked, evinced as 
just a sense of modesty, as the most rigid and careful education could 
have given them. 
Their mothers allowed themselves more privileges, and felt no 
hesitation in answering my questions relative to their marriage 
customs. Such characters as men and women passing their lives 
in a state of celibacy, do not exist among the wild nations of 
Southern Africa ; and in this particular, savages hold a superiority 
over the most polished nations of Europe. The women informed 
me that girls are most commonly betrothed when not older than 
a child whom they pointed out to me, and whose age appeared 
to be about seven years ; that is, the husband early bespeaks her, 
in order to preclude every other man, in the meanwhile, from all 
pretensions, and from all hope of gaining her : and, as these men 
generally take a second wife, as soon as the first becomes some- 
what advanced in years, this custom of securing another beforehand, 
is perhaps necessary, in order to avoid those contentions which might 
otherwise arise in cases of this nature, and where the girl herself is 
seldom allowed a voice in choosing her husband. In two or three 
years, or less, according to circumstances, after being thus betrothed, 
the girl changes her abode, from her mother's hut to that of the 
bridegroom. These bargains are made with her parents only, and 
without ever consulting the wishes (even if she had any) of the 
daughter. They are made by offering them a leathern bag, or some 
similar article, which, if accepted, ratifies and confirms the match. 
I saw at this kraal several mothers, who could not have been more 
than ten or twelve years old. 
