In soihe respects the accounts given-.;@f the matrimonial com
nexions »of :f heyf:ltyl®fife; are ineorte.efe.- It. has- tuuparticulah
jkifee®; said IMfri etch husband has [only pne wlife^although »■
woman is permitted to; [cohabit promiscuously with several bus*
baiidsy This however is not always the ease :V many of the men
ind^ed,',haye -«but jgipe i.tyife, ■ while ptheis buyer kshmafiy: as they
'can maintain, ilff-there, is no positive regulation on the subjects
and it is , probable that the ease with, which ptorniscupus' in te #
cburse' is . carried , o n and the ,ease with| which. .ipiaiJ’iages are
chssolved; , ife^itogether with i their poverty, |he true i.danse., why
polygamy is< not mor-e.general4 among.4hem; 1 In their pafrtWdat
circumstances indeed, where the houses Consist .often oh-but; one
apartment* and even the necessaries life are &> sc an ty ,.it
is pot to -be supposed that- i |m a n wilt voluntarily ■> underfeM-
the burden of maintaining • two.,'wives, rv^hen he'c&nLat .pleasure-’
put dwayjthe wiJIPher begins todget- rirerff^^andiltaKe^m ,h e r:
pJaefcdhe new objeM pf his affections..^
I The marriage ceremony,, which, amOftg-na$di|f'with stricter’
ideas. of chastity, is looked upon with, a^degree. Of myM^tysand
veneration, is: a: matter of very small -important# ^amothartiie
Gey-lonese, anelcshemsto be a t all attended M^pnlyj, Aiith,!aj;view
to eritftte the parties to .share in e a c h -p th e rs^ totgivo
of observing that ’they_ have mar*
jried< into their own cast* . The marriages are often, contracted ;by
the parents while the parties are as yet in a ,st&ie pf chiMhoodV,
merely with a view to match them according to. -their, rank,,
and are* often dissolved by consent almost as soon as consum*
mated. I t is also customary for those who intend, to. marry,
previously to cohabit and make trial of each others • temper;
and if: they find they cannot agree, they break off without the
interferend/ypop thef^riest, op ahytafurthér » 'ceremony'’; and no
disgratee ‘attaches. on {cbhé, pfegas^on to \ Cither party; b u t the wo-
mands« quite1 as nmoh'.pPepmed.py her, next ldvefpas if he had
foundj-her in a r t a t ë of-virginity. ^$j
After tbei<i>artifes?&awh -agreed to 'fnarty^ the first step*-'is, that,
the: -man posent this the ‘Wedding-clothés, whieffilindeed
aremotypfi the mostycbstiÿ^ldnd : 4hdÿ- ponskt, Of a pied!-
of elothjosixj o r seygn yards |nélengthj jfoif the tied? Of the bride;
and; anothi^! piécefof - cloth ', be - placëdp on; ,-the hedï ' I t
gives,, Us m striking idea’U # ‘the total waubjpf industry amon«
the Géyionese,-».and^thèir^eâpéiÉé}!statê Vbfi poverty,, »that 'feveft,
theses simpte martiale «ptreseiitS, are- /‘fi^qndhttyii'heyqnd the abi-t
bty l ^ h e manptö/»pürebate,è« jafnd thari h e /l# often--obliged
, to »borrow them -fot^the occ.Usibn from < ‘sQmfe of 'hisvnéigh-
boursi g
| The ■ .Redding i presents /arieit’^ ^ nW d the ^bfi^grtfbni’ in
person»,; and,A d ^ lte ’wing,, -night he -is entitled to lie with .the-
brid,evijtPpn,|^ tlfisjÿoÆas^Viâs appointed thé day .for bringing
her. hd’mbf and '£ëlebratófig*>the bedding .with festivities;.. 'On
his relations,, repair tq.-the^tyide’s,house, ear-
rjdqg;along;with4 them,what théy^rei âbïeftp« «contribute to ithe-
mapia)gêü%^,tî,'^5he-b^ide and bridegroom, .in |he preSence^lxf
thisj'a^errttó3lj,,eat,4but of Lone dish to -' denote that they- are of
the-same rank. Theiif thOmbsif^çe then tied#||g^t/her! and -thé;
eetemonyncondhdes, byi ,the nça^qst-fèlations?'ör-'-fhe-priest,.' when
he is present, Cutting-^em asunder. | This-hW^ê-rjCismCcototed
a less finding ceremony, and! indeed -.sCarchly intended for
continuance.- When itfiS^dësired to. make'-the marriagévas firm,
and indièt^lubte' asj thetj^a-tuf'è*-'bf , thteir manners, will 'allow,,
the parties are joined to^Othgr with a long piece of cloth,, which;