Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/153

 of tloeir marriages.

flaking of their fenfual marriage bargains, they always term it, " buy ing a woman ;" for example they fay with regard to the former, Che-Awa- las^ " I flwll marry you," the laft fy liable denotes the firft perfon of the future tenfe, the former " I (hall make you, as Awa, or Hewa was to Ijh" which is confirmed by a ftrong negative fimilar exprefiion, Che- Aivala Awa, " I mall not marry you." But the name of their market marriages, is Otoofyha, Ebo Achumbaras^ SaookcMa y " In the fpring, I mail buy a woman, if I am alive." Or Eho Achumbara .Awa, " I (hall not buy a woman," Salbafa toogat, " for indeed I am poor :" the former ufage, and method of language is exactly calculated to exprefs that fingular cuftom of the Hebrews, per coemptionem.

They fometimes marry by deputation or proxy. The intended bride* groom fends fo much in value to the neareft relations of the intended bride, as he thinks me is worth : if they are accepted, it is a good fign that her relations approve of the match, but me is not bound by their contract alone i her confent muft likewife be obtained, but perfuafions moft com monly prevail with them. However, if the price is reckoned too fmall, or the goods too few, the law obliges them to return the whole, either to hiin- fdf, or fome of his nearefb kindred. If they love the goods, as they term it, according to the like method of expreflion with the Hebrews, the loving couple may in a mort time bed together upon trial, and continue or dif- continue their love according as their fancy directs them. If they like each other, they become an honeft married couple when the nuptial ceremony is performed, as already defcribed. When one of their chieftains is mar ried, feveral of his kinfinen help to kill deer and buffalos, to make a rejoicing marriage feaft, to which their relations and neighbours are in vited : there the young warriors fing with their two chief muficians, who beat on their wet deer {kin tied over the mouth of a large clay-pot, and raife their voices, fmging To T* 9 &c. When they are tired with feaft- ing, dancing, and fmging the Epithalamium, they depart with friendly glad hearts, from the houfe of praife.

If an Ifraelite lay with a bond woman betrothed, and not redeemed, me was to be beaten, but not her fellow criminal ; for in the original text, Lev. xix. 20. the word is in the fceminine gender. When offenders were beaten, they were bowed down, as Deut. xxv. 2. fo that they

neither

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