Marriage Ceremonies..
The revenues o f - theiama, and o f tke -fecular princes,^feem.; to be
trifling ; ftffcjcan Tibet ever afpire to any political importance', , except
in the improbable cafe; that a fuppdfed 'emperor of Hindoftan were
tarrying otf-war againft China. In a commercial point of view,-friend-
fhi-p and fr.ee intercpurfe with Tibet might- open new advantages to tour
fettleme'nts in Bengal ; and in this defign repeated "envoys to- the lama
were fent bycMr. I ladings',, a govieiin or wb» poffefffd| the moft enlarged
andI enlightened mind, and an arrive attention to I the interefts of his -
. country.';
, Mr. Turner reprcfenls the character -of the Tibetlans as extremely
1 gentle and amiable. The men. are generally flout, with fometh-iiig: of
the Tataric. features,'and the women of a ruddy; broyvn. complexion,1
heightened like the fruits, by the proximity of the fun, while S ;
tain breezes bellow health- and vigour. - —
“ The ceremonies pfjmarriage. are neither tedious .nor intricate in
Tibet.? Their courtlhips are- carried on with little art, and quickly
brought to a conclufiojv The. elder brother of- a family, to whom tha
choice, belongs, when enamoured of a dapifel makes his proppfal to the
parents. If his,; fuit is approved, and the offer-accepted, the parents,
with , their daughter; repair - to, the. fifitor’s houf^ jyhere^he lB^I® wd
female acquaintance of both parties meet,: and .caroufe-for the. fpace of
three days, with mufic, dancing, and. every kind of feftivity. At-the
expiration of this time the marriage is complete. The priefts of Tibet,
who (bun the .fociety of women, have no fhare in thefe ceremonies,'
or in ratifying the obligation , between the parties. Mutual confent is '
their only .bond of-union ; and. the partiesrprefent are witnefles to the
eontraft, which, it feems, is formed indiffolubly for life. .The huff
band has it not in his power to rid himfelf of a troublefome companion,
nor the wife to withdraw herfelf from the hufband, unlefs indeed the
fame unifon of .fentiment that joined their hands Ihould prompt their
. reparation; but in fuch a. cafe: they are-.never left at liberty to. form a
new alliance. -' Inflances. - of incontinemc-y are rare, but if a married
female he'found to violate her compact the crime -is expiated by corporal
punifhment, and the favoured lover effaces the obloquy o f his
tranfgreffion by a pecuniary, fine.”
*v '** Xsrner,"3ji.J’
i i S i p it
■ It is a remarkable chara&eriftic o f the' country that polygamy he-re.af-
fmnes auffifferept fo^m, r^ 0 § T ,the women
heisng indulged p a, p](i^|fi|yf^ ^u^an^siv^^^o^the1 ref&rff.1 if.
the privfiegenpfilfee elder brqther to who.$ap^'m4fi equal
may; h ^ ^ n ^ i r J ffmq ’ \
views -
qf.ffmi.Iy
fo iitU ld n the'great paucity r i f 'f^ I e ^ h e f t^ om ^ b a ^ i th fibril- _
bed of -males, Though-,a yaft quantity, of*t^'l||tqr.be ‘tley^pi *'
3 btt . >, . .
- f§$ fl§ is the refped.'paid Buriah,^
in ia ^ lh r in e ^ ^ .r i ji c ^ o|<%e’ria/^p^|p^eftsva;re 'burnt, j^il^thei^ 1
alhesripreferved" iffdktle 4 # ^ ; W ^ 1 "
dead b 3 i , ^ e ue^pqfed J 9 . th^ •#
areas-;- ap'iam :annua\Te^yibis'held,'>.a^i^,%ngafia|^i^^in honour*
pfftfievdread.J 1 | |h - ggg -- 1/ - - ' - • § f i
* Aicuftous-idea^qf jhe manners an|L.ci}ftqms o f the_ Tibe-tff^iyiayi be
foEmedfijcnpMr.-Tui pen's account offijs jnteryiew.with the |g g g j then
aril-infant hot Capable of; fpeeclp;' for,' me~,
tempf^cofis, jtfiey- fupppfe «^at the %ri|pf tfie/ffma paps|t^qpf|i^at&‘
bodydinta another^whjch thgy^difcpyer by; inf|lihle^ipaiT?. v jg| .
‘ c ^ponctfie whbfe,^ th^Tiberians ;appea»}t c ^ |h ^ v p ^ a ^ ^ o q p ^ l te
progrefs im c#iizafiori; hut the -fciqnee^qo^fiuu^i^^bate: .ofamperfeg-;
tfoi|- thecyeaTifpd inftance being|]unar, ap4 the. .month- eonf^mg; o f ,
k ’Tlieriahgusage -of Tibet .is jeported|b-y Du Halde
that m m b7 th e P ^ f e' of dM th l^ pm W n t ie r s b ^W h a ^ *
but1 a§ this prqviRceff^tfflf ^ | | nform-]
atispn becomes vague ;,mor V v p h been‘
properly invefiigated. 8 The liteffufiq,ri|'cHtefly of th^'r|hgious kind'
thlfipoks being f fm e t ith e lp r in t i^ ^ hW t f^ M P ° n narr?w ffiPs *
of, th’irv paper, S t H B fro^ ^ ’of k fihSHkflirub. M
this prance they rlfemBle HKedliinefe P j l W P l I i l ^ P
ttefr works with: a fteel Iris'upon’ ^ rh e e 'r it leases’df the patoira
l )u Halde.andiTrirner.
tree,.