TRAVELS IN 
the remote parts of the colony, is a ridiculous and abfurd law 
refpeding marriage ; and as it feems to have no foundation in 
reafon, and little in policy, except indeed, like the marriage- 
adts in other countries, it be intended as a check to population, 
it ought to be repealed. By this law the parties are both 
obliged to be prefent at the Cape, in order to anfwer certain 
interrogatories, and pafs the forms of office there, the chief 
intent of which is to fee that no improper marriages take 
place ; as if the commilfaries appointed to this office, at the 
diftance of five or fix hundred miles, fhould be better ac- 
quainted with the connexions and other circumftances regard- 
ing the parties, than the landroft, the clergyman, and the mem- 
bers of the council refiding upon the fpot. The expence of 
the journey to the young couple is greater than they frequently 
can well affiord. For decency's fake they muft fet out in two 
waggons, though in the courfe of a month's journey, acrofs a 
defert country, it is faid they generally make one ferve, and 
that nine limes out of ten the confummation of the marriage 
precedes the ceremony. This naturally produces another bad 
confequence. The poor girl, after the familiarities of a long 
journey, lies entirely at the mercy of the man, who, having 
fatisfied his curiofity or his paffion, fometlmes deferts her at the 
end. Though in our own country a trip to Scotland be fome- 
times taken where obftacles at a nearer diftance could not 
fafely be furmounted, yet it would be confidered as a very 
ridiculous, as well as oppreffive law, that fhould oblige the 
parties intending to marry to go from the Land's End to Lon- 
don to effedt that purpofe. The inhabitants of Graaff Reynet 
mufl travel twice that diftance in order to be married. 
Almoft 
