E TH N 01.0 (IICAL NOTES. 
137 
this case he pockets a double reward for his labour. 
In case the young man is not independent, but is 
living with his parents, the parents arrange everything 
through a go-between but the opinion and the approval 
of the son is asked after the parents have made their 
choice. In case of a daughter however, her consent is 
never asked : her parents simply tell her that she has to 
marry this or that person. 
Although, the middle-man is the chief person in this 
transaction, it often happens that the young man tries 
to catch a secret look at his future wife before he con¬ 
sents to the engagement. 
Courtship in the real sense of the word is unknown 
among the poorer classes of Chinese. Their idea of 
marrying is to get a son to honour his soul after death 
and to save the money while his wife does the work of 
a coolie without pay. 
When the young man agrees to the choice of the 
middle-man, this go-between goes to the parents of the 
girl to arrange the engagement, and the bryan (money 
to buy the girl) has to be settled. 
Again, as Chinamen are business people, it often 
happens that bargaining ensues between the two par¬ 
ties. Promises also have to be made as to what extra 
things have to be sent to the parents of the girl for the 
feast on the eve of the marriage. Occasionally also the 
mother first wants to see the future husband of her 
daughter before any arrangements are made. 
The Engagement. 
When the day for the engagement has been agreed 
upon, the young man sends to the parents of the girl 
a silver bracelet, some fowls, arrack and mostly sweets 
to prepare a small feast for the relations of the girl 
only, to make known that her daughter has been en¬ 
gaged. The future husband is not invited, but the 
middle-man must be present; he occupies the place of 
honour at the table and plenty of drinks (arrack etc.) 
are given to him. 
On the day of this dinner the parents of the girl 
send to her future husband a red coloured paper on 
Which is written the day' and hour of her birth. 
