170 
MARRIAGES. 
Hours afterwards I saw her crouching in the 
village, sobbing gently* still, and looking utterly 
exhausted from the outburst. 
But this was a single instance. When I think 
of the little girls, I always see a more pleasing 
and peaceful picture. They sit for hours in the 
required posture before tiny looms, imitating 
their mothers weaving, with real, and sometimes 
only imaginary, shuttle and warp. At a very 
early age they commence to carry burdens as 
their mothers do. A child of eight years carries 
a weight on her back, held by a band round the 
forehead, which would make me stagger. 
A man may have as many wives as he can 
purchase, but as a rule it is all he can do to 
secure one, at least till he is considerably ad- 
vanced in years, and has disposed of some of 
his daughters for gold ear-rings and elephants’ 
tusks, which are indispensable. These tusks 
are brought chiefly from Singapore and Suma- 
tra, where they cost 200 or 300 florins each, 
by the Buginese traders, who with the westerly 
winds seek out the creeks and bays of the “ far, 
far east ” to exchange them for tripang and 
tortoise-shell. The father of the girl has often 
to wait a long time for the ivory portion of her 
price ; but he hands her over, on the payment 
