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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.

and in Ghilgit, it is considered indecent for the boy to turn round and look at her. Then a par ticular friend, the “Dharm-bhai” of the girl's brother asks her if she consents to the marriage. In receiving or imagining an affirmative he turns round to the Mulla, who, after asking three times whether he, she, and the bridegroom, as well as all present are satisfied, reads the prayers and completes the ceremonial. Then some rice boiled in milk is brought in, of which the boy and the girl take a spoonful. They do not retire the first night, but grace the company with their presence. The people assembled then amuse themselves by hearing the musicians, eating, &c., &c. It appears to be the custom that a person leaves an entertainment whenever he likes, which is generally the case after he has eaten enough. It must not, however, be imagined that the sexes are secluded from each other in Dardistan.

Young people have continual opportunities of meeting each other in the fields, at their work, or

at festive gatherings. Love declarations often take place on these occasions, but if any evil intention is perceived the seducer of a girl is punished by this savage but virtuous race with death. The Dards know and speak of the exist ence of “pure love,” “pak fishiqi.” Their love songs show sufficiently that they are capable of a deeper, than mere sexual feeling. No objec tion to lawful love terminating in matrimony is ever made, unless the girl or the boy is of a lower caste. In Ghilgit, however, the girl may be of a lower caste than the bridegroom. In Astor it appears that a young man, whose parents— to whom he must mention his desire for marry ing any particular person—refuse to intercede, often attains his point by threatening to live in the family of the bride and become an adopted son. A S h in of true race at Astor may live in concubinage with a girl of lower caste, but the relatives of the girl, if they discover the in trigue, revenge the insult by murdering the para mour, who, however, does not lose caste by the

[JANTARY 5, 1872.

than 15 years; but at twelve girls are generally engaged.t

The Balti custom of having merely a claim to dowry on the part of the woman—the prosecu tion of which claim so often depends on her sa tisfaction with her husband, or the rapacity of her relatives—in spite of the intercourse of the Baltis with the Shin people, is never observed by the latter—not even by the Shin colonists of little Tibet, who are called “Brokhpá.” When the bridegroom has to go for his bride to a distant village, he is furnished with a bow. On arriving at his native place, he crosses the breast of his bride with an arrow, and then

shoots it off.

He generally shoots three arrows

off in the direction of his home.

At Astor the custom is sometimes to fire guns as a sign of rejoicing. This is not done at Ghilgit.

When the bridegroom on the second day fetches his bride to his own home, the girl is crying with the women of her household, and the young man catches hold of her dress in front (at Ghilgit by the hand) and leads her to the door. If the girl cannot get over embracing her people and crying with them quickly, the twelve men who have come along with the bridegroom (who in Astori are called hilalee, bridegrooms, and garoni in Ghilgiti) sing the following song :— INVITATION TO THE BRIDE. Nikistal quaray kustini (“astali” is added to the fem. Imp). Come out hawk's daughter. Nikastali ke karamilić (“balanile,” in Ghilgiti),” Come out why delayest thou ! Nikastali maileyn gutijo. Come out (from) thy father's tent. Nikastali

ke

karamilid.

Come out

why delayest thou. Nero tshareyn baray6. Do not weep waterfall's fairy. Né ro teyn rong boje. Do not weep ! thy colour will go. Né ro jaro shidati.

Do not weep brethren's beloved, N6 re tey rºng boje. Do not weep thy colour will go. Né ro maleyn shidaii.

Do not weep father's beloved, Né ro tey rºng boje. Do not weep ! thy colour will go. TRANSLATION.

alliance.

The bridegroom dances as well as his twelve companions. The girl ought not to be older

Come out, O daughter of the hawk, Come out, why dost thou delay ? Come forth from thy father's tent,

Betrothal, Bridegroom, Bride,
 * The “brother in the faith” with whom raw milk has been drunk, vide page

= balli

= pumpkin in Ghilgiti, Soel—A stori

== hileleo, Gh

.hilaleo. Astori.

= hilal.

Bridegroom's men = garðni, Gh. hilalé, Astóri. Marriage(H. shadi),- garr, Gh. Kash. Astori, Dowry, = “dab,” Gh. and Astéri.

the grain, ghi and sheep that may accompany the betrothal-present is called by the Astóris “sakaro." Husband,

= barão, Gh.

barðyo,

Astori.

Wife,

= Greyn, Gh.

gréyn, Astori.

Wedding dinner “garey tiki" in Ghilgiti, “Kajjøyn bai kyas,” in Astori (?) [“takki" is bread, “bai" is a chippati, kyas – food.]

t The Turks say “a girl of 15 years of age should be either married or bur"."