CUSTOMS REGARDING MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE. 
163 
and mother, the astrologer is consulted, 
secundum artem in all places, and if the 
result of his calculation proves favorable, 
the arrangements are made for completion 
of the affair. First of all a present of a fine 
silk dress, some gold and silver ornaments, 
and little tea mixed with spice are sent 
from the lover to the young lady, and then 
he follows in the evening of the same day, 
proceeded by the ‘ ‘ young unmarried me n 
of the place,” who block up his course until 
he finds the means of opening by douceur 
of money. Arriving at his mistress’s dwell- 
ing, the unmarried females enact a similar 
fine, when having cleared his path he enters 
the house, and the bride seated by his side 
“ flowers and water are scattered over 
both by the hands of the oldest and most 
respectable person present.” This done they 
partake of a meal prepared by the parents 
of the girl, the hands of the bridegroom 
and bride are laid on each other (that of the 
latter uppermost) and washed by the same 
person who had sprinkled the water and 
flowers. The father of the Bridegroom then 
takes a ring and places it on the third finger 
of the bride’s left hand. The marriage is 
now complete and an entertainment follows, 
which concludes the ceremony. The bride- 
groom remains with his bride at her parents 
for 7 days preparatoiy to taking her home. 
Such is the general practice ; but a man 
may without discredit select a partner with- 
out going through these ceremonies, and 
be equally certain of receiving respect from 
his countrymen. The woman being 
regarded in the same light as if formally 
united. 
With every blessing there will be some 
reservation in its measure ; and the lament- 
able consequence of what follows apper- 
tains to more regions than these where 
it was supposed civilization or the lights 
and the shadows of a more advanced state 
of existence were introduced with the fo- 
reigner and the conqueror. 
“ A prostitute was a being unknown to the 
Mughs before the country had fallen into the 
hands of the British. Among the blessings 
attending the change of rule and marking the 
progress of civilization in Arracan, is the 
introduction of a gradual increase of that 
unhappy class of people, and withitthemiseries 
that are consequent to an unrestrained and 
promiscuous intercourse. To the honour of 
the Mugh women I must declare, that in- 
stances of prostitution on their part are still 
of rare occurrence ; the reputation for this 
vice is still more generally attached to their 
more civilized neighbours the Bengalees. 
So much liberty being allowed to the sexes 
in early youth, it may be supposed that an 
unlicensed intercoui’se will, in many instances, 
be found to exist between them previous to 
their union. It would be unreasonable to 
affirm that a passion which is so often known 
to break through the bounds imposed by 
religion and morality upon a people who claim 
for themselves a superior degree of civiliza- 
tion, should not in this country be known to 
exist in an equally unbridled state, and pro- 
duce the evils consequent to an unrestrained 
intercourse and the shame of an avowal. In- 
stances of abortion or bastardy are not, how- 
ever, of frequent occurrence, the good sense 
of the parents, to whom the attachment in 
its several stages is generally known, pre- 
venting by a timely union of the parties, the 
evil which must originate from an intercourse 
unsanctioned by custom and authority.” 
As yet from the infrequency of applica- 
tion for divorce which is easily obtained 
amongst the Mughs, it should seem that the 
harmony of the married state has not been 
much broken in upon. How long this will 
continue is hardly problematical, for we 
find that the invader has already been 
at work, and that pristine simplicity is 
likely to sink fast under its proximity to 
those who boast of their loftier intellect 
and more reflective powers. We have avoided 
all observation of our own, save such cur- 
sory ones as have been thus elicited because 
we wish to give the substance of the work 
itself, as connectedly, as we can, intending 
when we have gone through, to offer a few 
suggestions upon its subject matter gene- 
rally ; for the present we must content 
ourselves with one more extract on the 
manner of divorces, and refer our friends to 
the next number for a continuation. 
“ Separation may be effected (privately) by 
a deed drawn out by husband and wife, and 
witnessed by two or more respectable neigh- 
bours ; or both parties may appear before the 
meeo-woon or magistrate, and a separation is 
instantaneously effected on their compliance 
with the rules laid down for observance in 
such cases. If the wife objects to remain 
any longer with her husband, and he shall be 
found to have repeatedly ill treated her, she 
is at liberty to depart, receiving from him the 
whole of her property, as well as the children 
