Page:Dawson - Australian aborigines (1900).djvu/44

 the widow, with the sanction of the chief, make arrangements for her re-marriage, and she must marry the man chosen for her. If the widow has no near relatives, the arrangements are made by the chief of her tribe. Her own inclinations are not consulted in the matter. No marriage or betrothal is permitted without the approval of the chiefs of each party, who first ascertain that no 'flesh' relationship exists, and even then their permission must be rewarded by presents.

So strictly are the laws of marriage carried out, that, should any signs of affection and courtship be observed between those of 'one flesh,' the brothers, or male relatives of the woman beat her severely; the man is brought before the chief, and accused of an intention to fall into the same flesh, and is severely reprimanded by the tribe. If he persists, and runs away with the object of his affections, they beat and 'cut his head all over;' and if the woman was a consenting party she is half killed. If she dies in consequence of her punishment, her death is avenged by the man's receiving an additional beating from her relatives. No other vengeance is taken, as her punishment is legal. A child born under such conditions is taken from the parents, and handed over to the care of its grandmother, who is compelled to rear it as no one else will adopt it.

It says much for the morality of the aborigines and their laws that illegitimacy is rare, and is looked upon with such abhorrence that the mother is always severely beaten by her relatives, and sometimes put to death and burned. Her child is occasionally killed and burned with her. The father of the child is also punished with the greatest severity, and occasionally killed. Should he survive the chastisement inflicted upon him, he is always shunned by the woman's relatives, and any efforts to conciliate them with gifts are spurned, and his presents are put in the fire and burned.

Since the advent of the Europeans among them, the aborigines have occasionally disregarded their admirable marriage laws, and to this disregard they attribute the greater weakness and unhealthiness of their children.

As a preventive of illegal marriages, parents betroth their children when just able to walk. The proposal to betroth is made by the father of the girl. If the boy's father approves, he gives the girl a present of an opossum rug, and shows her attention, and gives her 'nice things to eat' when he sees her at great meetings. The father of the girl takes heroccasionally to see her intended husband, but he is not permitted to return the visit.