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66 THE

GRISI"

OF FERNANDO PO.

of his future wife's sister. A profusion of Tshibbu strings being fastened round his body, as well as his legs and arms, the anointing lady, having a short black pipe in her mouth, proceeded to putty him over with Tola paste. He seemed not altogether joyous at the anticipation of his approaching happiness, but turned a sulky gaze, now and then, to a kidney shaped piece of yam, which he held in his hand, and which had a parrot's red feather fixed on its convex side. This, I was informed, was called Ntshoba, and is regarded as a protection against evil influence, during the important day. Two skewer-looking hairpins, with heads of red and white glass beads, fastened his hat (which was nothing more than a dish of bamboo plaiting) to the hair of his head, and his toilet being complete, he and one of his bridesmen as elaborately dressed as himself, attacked a mess of stewed flesh and palm-oil, placed before them, as eagerly as if they had not tasted food for a fortnight. In discussing this meal, they followed the primitive usage of "fingers before forks," only resting now and then to take a gulp of palm-wine out of a calabash, which was hard by, or to wipe their hands on napkins of cord-leaf, a process which, to say the least of it, added nothing to their washerwomen's bills at the end of the week.

But the bride; here she comes! led forth by her own and her husbandexpectant's mother, each holding her by a hand, followed by two Nepees, (professional singers) and half-a-dozen bridesmaids. Nothing short of

a correct photograph could convey an idea of her appearance. Borne down by the weight of rings and wreaths, and girdles of Tshibbu, the Tola pomatum gave her the appearance of an exhumed mummy, save her face, which was all white-not from excess of modesty (and here I may add, the negro race are reputed always to blush blue) but from being smeared over with a white paste, symbolical of purity.

As soon as she was outside the paling, her bridal attire was proceeded with, and the whole body was plastered over with white stuff. A veil, of strings of Tshibbu shells, completely covering her face, and extending from the crown of her head to the chin, as well as on each side from ear to ear, was then thrown over her; over this was placed an enormous helmet, made of cowhide; and any one with a spark of compassion in him, could not help pitying that poor creature, standing for more than an hour under the broiling sun, with such a load on her, whilst the Nepees were celebrating her praises in an extempore epithalamium, and the bridegroom was completing his finery elsewhere. One of the Nepees, who,

for what I know, may have been the Grisi of Fernando Po, and who had walked eight miles that morning to assist professionally at the ceremony, commenced a solo celebration of the bride's virtues and qualifications. Whether any person of musical taste who had listened to it, would have entitled the chaunt a combination of squeal, grunt, and howl, I cannot say; but that it produced satisfaction amongst the native audience was evident from the fact of the energetic chorusing of several assistant minstrels, who yelled out-"Hee hee, jee eh," at the termination of any passage containing a sentiment that met with their approbation, the exclamation being synonymous with our bravo.

The song, as translated to me, set forth the universal joy of nature at the festival which was approaching, amongst other matters recording the existence of a race of wicked amphibious people, who lived on the African continent, and who would doubtless attempt to come over to disturb the universal harmony; but who they knew if they went into the water on that day, would be all remorselessly devoured by the sharks. It terminated with a recapitulation of the bride's attractive qualities, her beautiful form, figure, and good temper; the latter a quality which I had no reason to doubt, as I did not enjoy the pleasure of the lady's acquaintance. But when the Nepee wound up her praises, by enumerating amongst her other prepossessing attributes the sweet smell proceeding from her, which was the cause of inducing a white man to come and witness the ceremony, I turned away with a shudder, of what kind you may guess, at this outrage on poetic licence, and said to myself, "If Nepce only knew the truth!"

The candidates for marriage having taken their positions, side by side, in the open air, fronting the little house from which the bride elect had been led out by the mothers, and where, I was informed, she had been closely immured for fifteen months previous, the ceremony commenced. The mothers were the officiating priests, an institution of natural simplicity, whose homely origin no one will dare to impugn. On these occasions the mother bishops are prophetically entitled Boonanas, the Fernandian for grandmother. Five bridesmaids marshalled themselves alongside the bride, each in rotation, some inches lower than the other, the outside one being a mere infant in stature, and all having bunches of parrot's feathers on their heads, as well as holding a wand in their right hands. The mothers stood behind the happy pair, and folded an arm of each round the body of the other-Nepees chaunting all the while, so that it was barely possible for my interpreter to catch the words by which they were married.

A string, of Tshibbu, was fastened round both arms by the bridegroom's mother, she at the same time whispering to him advice to take care of this tender lamb. The string was then loosed. It was again fastened on by the bride's mother, who whispered into her daughter's ear, her duty to attend to her husband's farm, tilling his yams and cassadu, and the necessity of her being faithful to him.

The ratification of their promise to fulfil these conditions, was effected by passing a goblet of palm-wine from mother to son, (the bridegroom,) from him to his bride, from her to her mother, each taking a sip as it went round. Then an indiscriminate dance and chaunt commenced, and the whole scene-the Tola paste laid on some faces so thickly, that one might imagine it was intended to affix something to them by means of it, the dangling monkey tails, the dish-hats, and parrot's feathers, the bunches of wild fern, and strings of Tshibbu shells, fastened, perhaps, as nosegays to the ladies' persons-the white and red, and yellow spots painted under the eyes, and on the shoulders, and in any place where they could form objects of attraction-the tout ensemble contrasted with the lofty bombax, beautiful palm, cocoa-nut, and other magnificent tropical trees around, presented a picture rarely witnessed by the European, and one calculated to excite varied reflections. When fatigued with dancing, and when all the company, from the cracking of the Tola putty, looked as if they were about to fall into man's original element of clay, the Nepees walked away, followed by the bridegroom, with the bride and the bridesmaids after him, all marching down the pathway which led to the bridegroom's house.

Knowing the ceremonials were not yet finished, I followed the company for half-a-mile. As they went along, the former wives of the newly married man, sang and jumped, and wheeled around, beckoning to the bride to come on; who, poor creature, with her helmet and her cinctures of shells, if nerves had been in fashion in Fernando Po-would have needed smelling salts or a douché of cold water, half-a-dozen times on her journey.

The outside palisading, in which was a faint attempt at a gate, was reached. Here I witnessed an act of natural politeness, which no disciples of Chesterfield could rival. The old wives preceded the new bride on her way in through the outer enclosure, as if guiding her to her new home, but when they reached the inner palisading, they all gave way to her, allowing her to precede them. Within this the ceremony was proceeded with, the bride standing with her back to the door, her husband's arm

ADVANTAGES OF POLYGAMY TO THE INDIAN.

263

again embracing her, and her's round his body likewise. One of his children presented a huge brown painted yam, which she received with a renewal of advice from her mother, to attend to the cultivation of this esculent. Others of his children fixed epaulets of Tshibbu in their proper places; the bridegroom put four rings of the small shells on the middle finger of her right hand; another piece of advice, or lecture, was given to her son by the bridegroom's mother, and the ceremony was completed; the young couple received the congratulations of their relatives, and feasting commenced.

All the friends from distant parts, who had come to be present, brought dishes with them; some poor women, who had nothing better to give, carried bundles of fire-wood on their heads, a present which might appear ridiculous to anyone who did not remember the widow's mite, and its gracious acceptance.

Turning to the Indians of North America, we find polygamy to be the rule rather than the exception. Catlin relates that he has seen as many as fourteen wives in the tent of one chief, and although the intelligent traveller in question intimates that this may be "too much of a good thing," he has several ingenious excuses for the institution of polygamy among these people. All nations of Indians, Mr. Catlin urges, in their natural condition are unceasingly at war with the tribes that are about them, for the adjustment of ancient and never ending feuds, as well as for a love of glory, to which, in Indian life, the battle field is almost the only road. Their warriors are killed off to such an extent, that in many instances two and sometimes three women to one man may be found in a tribe. In such cases polygamy is an easy way out of a difficulty among a people who scorn to "hire out" to labour. There is no indignity in

46

marrying out" to labour. Moreover, it should be borne in mind that another wife or so taken to the bosom of a North American chief does not mean an augmentation of his encumbrances; they are sources of wealth. Not only do they "cut their own grass," as the vulgar Yankee saying is, but make hay (not only "while the sun shines," but every day the whole year through) for their lord and master. Among his spouses the chief counts his agricultural labourers, his tent pitchers, his hewers of wood, and his drawers of water, his cooks, his tailors, his nurses, and his mocassin makers. If the said chief does business with the Hudson's Bay Company, skin dressing is an art the squaw is expected to understand and industriously practise.

Although there is no denying that courtships of the most romantic

character do sometimes occur between these savage swains and damsels, it is not one time in a hundred that marriage is consummated on such maudlin grounds. The daughter's life does not belong to herself, but to her father; he sets a certain value on her, and however vehemently her adorer may declare that so lovely a being is beyond price, the matter-offact old gentleman will never be convinced, but insists on so many blankets, or a rifle, or a horse, according to the demand for the commodity under barter.

The young North American Indian, as previously hinted, is highly sensible of the romance of love; he is a dabbler in "tokens" and "spells," and a firm believer in "charms" and "philters." Mr. Kohl, during his sojourn among the Ojibbeways, met an amusing example of this kind.

I was once sitting with a young unmarried Indian in his lodge, with whom I was talking on various matters. At length I asked him if he had not yet fallen in love with any fair one of his tribe?

"O yes, I have," he said.

"Hadst thou then no pretty songs and poetry for thy beloved?" "Of course I had then; and have them still."