OF MATRIMONY. 
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mark of respect ; if he marries a wife, he has 
to lose all his property: and this is done out 
of respect — not from disrespect, as it was once 
printed, inadvertently, in an official publication. 
A chief would think himself slighted, if his food 
and garments were not taken away from him upon 
many occasions. To prevent this, Manga, the old 
mother, acted with policy. As I was returning 
therefore from church, with the bridegroom and 
bride, she met the procession, and began to assail 
us all furiously. She put on a most terrific 
countenance, threw her garments about, and tore 
her hair like a fury ; then said to me, “ Ah, you 
white Missionary, you are worse than the devil : 
you first make a slave-lad your son, by redeem- 
ing him from his master ; and then marry him 
to my daughter, who is a lady. I will tear your 
eyes out ! I will tear your eyes out ! ” The old 
woman, suiting the action to the word, feigned a 
scratch at my face ; at the same time saying to 
me, in an under tone, that it was “ all mouth, 
and that she did not mean what she said. I told 
her I should stop her mouth with a blanket. 
“ Ha, ha, ha ! ” she replied ; “ that was all I 
wanted: I only wanted to get a blanket, and 
therefore I made all this noise.” The whole affair, 
after this, went off remarkably well : all seemed 
to enjoy themselves; and every one was satisfied. 
—I subseciuently married another couple : they 
were from two distinct tribes ; and four hundred 
natives, at least, were assembled in the chapel, 
