Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 6 1888.djvu/130

122 with wood-ashes, and mixing it in the palm of her hand, places it in her lord's mouth. Then the Sheikhu-l-Manheis sings:

"Come! brides and bridegrooms this instant," and then gives various absurd orders to each couple, such as, "Fetch a live fish from the sea," or "Fetch a live lizard, a live flea," &c.

The couples start off in search of the articles which they have been ordered to produce. If they return to the house without obtaining the object of their search, they are put sitting on the ground, back to back, and their arms tied tightly together; they are then rolled over from side to side, and water sprinkled over them.

This sort of amusement continues for about seven days, with variations. Sometimes the males and females exchange dresses—each man becoming a woman, and each girl a man. The girls dress up their partners, using padding to make the disguise as complete as possible; and then, assuming all the airs of husbands, they flog their partners with horsewhips, and order them about in the same manner as they themselves had been treated by the young men.

On the morning after the marriage, the husband on rising gives his bride a present of from ten to twenty dollars, according to his means. During the space of a week he remains with his espoused, scarcely ever venturing out of the house, and rarely showing himself even at the dancing which goes on in the compound.

When the seven days have expired, the bridegroom presents to the "Sheikhu-l-Manheis" a dollar and a waist-cloth, and a dollar to each of the young men. The bride gives a dollar to each of the girls.

III.—.

The marriage customs of the Eesa and Gadabúrsi differ in many respects from those just described.

Girls are usually married between the ages of fifteen and twenty: they are often chosen by men of a different tribe, in order to obtain