of Edinburgh, Session 1884 - 85 . 
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relations are grouped on either side of them. The puggee then 
arrives, and asks the father what the child’s name is to he. He 
then reads a prayer, and afterwards calls out the name, and the 
ceremony is closed by another prayer. For the performance of this 
duty the puggee is not allowed to receive payment, and it can only 
he performed by the highest class of priests. The name given to 
the child on this occasion may never afterwards be altered. The 
rest of the day is spent in singing, telling tales, and then in 
dancing, the child being exhibited with much pride, and if it 
happens to be a daughter the father receives very hearty congratu- 
lations, the wish being always expressed that she may grow up to be 
very beautiful, and to be as supple as a bending branch, in order 
that his riches may be increased by an extraordinary large dowry. 
Marriage Customs . — I have referred in another place to courtship 
and elopement ; I will here describe the nuptial ceremonies. 
Large stores of food and immense quantities of beer and wine 
are prepared for the marriage feast, and if a very poor man is about 
to be married he is allowed to select a cow and a few sheep from 
his richer friends’ flocks, provided that he kills them where they are 
feeding, and subsequently explains why he does so. If the bride 
and bridegroom live in different villages, the wedding takes place 
in the bridegroom’s village. The marriage ceremony is observed in 
the evening in the village yard. The fathers, brothers, and invited 
friends assemble together, but, strange to relate, the bride and 
bridegroom themselves are not present. Prayers are said, and then 
the priest, standing in the midst of the group, announces that the 
bride and bridegroom, giving their names, are hereby married, and 
calls upon the assembled company to bear witness to the fact. As 
soon as this is over, the man in the company who has the loudest 
voice calls out with all his might “ Ku-ru-ru,” in order that the 
bride and bridegroom, who are in adjacent but separate huts, may 
hear that their marriage is accomplished. Then food is served, the 
most of it being provided by the bridegroom’s father ; the bride’s 
father, however, provides a small share. The boys are allowed to 
join in this feast, and when it is over the younger portion of the 
company dance all night long, the older people retiring to the house 
of the bridegroom’s father to drink. More or less dancing takes 
place for several days, lasting, however, only two or three hours in 
