THE MARRIAGE CEREMONIES OF THE INDIANS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2701, 2 November 1889, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE MARRIAGE CEREMONIES OF THE INDIANS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.

The American journal Science publishes an abstract of a letter from Mr Jacobseu, describing the marriage ceremonies of the Bilqula Indians of British Columbia. An Indian who intends to marry calls upon his intended wife's parents and arranges with them how much is to pay for permission to marry the girl. Among people of high descent this is done by messengers, sometimes as many as twenty being sent to call on the girl's father. They are sent by the man's parents before he is of age. The messengers go in their boats to the girl's house and carry on their negotiations without going ashors, where the relatives of the girl are standing. The messengers of the young man praise his excellence and noble descent, the great exploits of his father, grandfather, and ancestors, their wars, victories, and hunting expeditions, their liberality at festivals, &c. Then the girl's relatives praise the girl and her ancestors, and thus the negotiations are carried on, Finally a number of blankets are thrown ashore by the messengers; tho girl's relatives protest that the number is not sufficient to pay for the permission to marry her. In order toobtnin their consent new blankets are thrown ashoreone by one, the messengers continually maintaining that the price paid is too great. Generally from '20 to 50 blankets, each of the value of about half a dollar, are paid. After this the boy and girl are considered engaged. When they are grown up the young man has to serve a year to his father-in-law. Ha must fell trees, fetch water, fish, and bunt for the latter. During this time he is called Kos—" one who woos." At tho marriage ceremony eeven or eight nion perform a dance. They wear aprons and leggings trimmed with puffinbeako, hoofs of deer, copper plates, and bells. If the bridegroom should be a wealthy man, who has presented his wife with small copper plate?, such as are used as presents to a bride, these are carried by the dancers. The singing master, who beats tho drum,starts asongin which thedancers join. . The song used at the marriage festival is sung in unison, while in all other dances each dancer has his own tuna and song. The first dancer wears a ring made of cedar bark. His hair is strewn with eagle-down, which flies about' when he moves and forms a cloud around his head. The bridegroom presents the first dancer with a piece of calico, which | the latter tears to pieces and throws down in front of each house in the village, crying "Hoip," iu order to drive away evil spirits. The pieces of calico are lucky, and at the same time express the idea, that the bridegroom, when he comes

to be a wealthy man, will not forget the inhabitants of any house when giving a festival. The dancers swing their bodies aud arms, stamp their feet, and show the copper plates to the lookerson. Then the ('tide's father brings a great number of blankets, generally double the number of those he had received from the bridegroom, and gives them to his daughter. The bride orders a few blankets to be spread before tho bridegroom. She sits down and he puts his hand upon her head.' Tbeu the bridegroom is given for each of tho parts of his body ono or more blankets; Finally he receives a new blanket. After the brides father has given a,blanket to each dauocr aud to the drummer, the villagers are iuvil-ed to a great feast. At this bridegroom and bride oat for the first tiino together,