Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/152

 3 4 3 On the defcent of the American Indians from the Jews*

he gives her a deer's foot, as an emblem of the readinefs with which flic ought to ferve him : in return, fhe prefents him with fome cakes of bread, thereby declaring her domeftic care and gratitude in return for the offals, for the men feaft by themfelves, and the women eat the remains. When this fhort ceremony is ended, they may go to bed like an honeft couple.

Formerly, this was an univerfal cuftom among the native Americans ; but this, like every other ufage of theirs, is wearing out apace. The Weft-Flori- dans, in order to keep their women fubjeft to the law of adultery, bring fome venifon or buffalo's flefh to the houfe of their nominal wives, at the end of every winter's hunt : that is reckoned a fufficient annual tye of their former marriages, although the hufbands do not cohabit with them. The Mufkohge men, if newly married, are obliged by ancient cuftom, to get their own relations to hoe out the corn-fields of each of their wives, rhat their marriages may be confirmed : and the more jealous, repeat the cuftom every year, to make their wives fubject to the laws againft adultery. But the Indians in general, reckon that before the bridegroom can prefume to any legal power over the bride, he is after the former ceremonies, or others fomething fimilar, obliged to go into the woods to kill a deer, bring home the carcafs of venifon, and lay it down at her houfe wrapt up in its (kin ; and if (he opens the pack, carries it into the houfe, and then drefTes and gives him fome of it to eat with cakes before witnefies, (he becomes his lawful wife, and obnoxious to all the penalties of an adulterefs.

The Hebrews had another fort of marriage by purchafe : the bride groom gave the father of the bride as much as he thought (he was worth : and according to the different valuation, fo fooner or later (he went off at market. The only way to know the merit of a Hebrew lady, was to fnquire the value for which her father would fell her, and the lefs rapacious he was, the fooner fhe might get an hufband. Divine writ abounds with inftances of the like kind ; as Gen. xxxiv. 12. " Afk me never fo much dowry and I will give it." David bought Michal, and Jacob dearly pur- chafed Rachel, &c. The women brought nothing with them, except their clothes, rings and bracelets, and a few trinkets. When the Indians would cxprefs a proper marriage, they have a word adapted according to their various dialects, to give them a fuitable idea of it j but when they are

fpeaking

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