they get wives, as they have not the courage to fight the requisite duel for one with an older man.1 In the tribes of Western Victoria, described by Mr. Dawson, a young chief who cannot get a wife, and falls in love with one belonging to a chief who has more than two, can, with her consent, challenge the husband to single combat, and, if the husband is defeated, the conqueror makes her his legal wife.2 Narcisse Peltier, who, during seventeen years, was detained by a tribe of Queensland Australians, states that the men "not unfrequently fight with spears for the possession of a woman."3 In New Zealand, if a girl had two suitors with equal pretensions, a kind of "pulling match" was arranged in which the girl's arms were dragged by each of the suitors in opposite directions, the stronger man being the victor; and, according to the Rev. R. Taylor, there is in the Maori language even a special term for denoting such a struggle.5 In Samoa, as also in the Fiji Islands, women have always been one of the chief causes of fighting; and of the natives of Makin, of the Kingsmill Group, Mr. Wood assures us that "they have no wars, and very few arms, and seldom quarrel except about their women."7 Among the South African Bushmans, the "stronger man will sometimes take away the wife of the weaker."8 The people of Wadaï are notorious for their desperate fights for women; and, among the young men of Baghirmi, bloody feuds between rivals are far from being of rare occurrence.9 In the islands outside Kamchatka there prevailed formerly a very curious custom, as reported by Steller. If a husband. found that a rival had been with his wife, he would admit that the rival had at least an equal claim to her. "Let us try, then," he would say, "which of us has the greater right, and shall have her." After that they would take off their 1 Lumholtz, loc. cit. p. 184. 2 Dawson, loc. cit. p. 36. Cf. Ridley, 'The Aborigines of Australia,' p. 6. 3 Spencer, 'The Principles of Sociology,' vol. i. p. 601. 4 Dieffenbach, 'Travels in New Zealand,' vol. ii. pp. 36, et seq. 5 Taylor, loc. cit. p. 337. • Pritchard, loc. cit. pp. 55, 269. Lichtenstein, loc. cit. vol. ii. p. 48. 7 Wilkes, loc. cit. vol. v. p. 72. 9 Barth, 'Reisen,' vol. iii. p. 352. M clothes and begin to beat each other's backs with sticks; and he who first fell to the ground, unable to bear any more blows, lost his right to the woman.1 Among the ancient Hindus, says Mr. Samuelson, “it was a custom in royal circles, when a princess became marriageable, for a tournament to be held, and the victor was chosen by the princess as her husband." This custom was known as the Swayamvara," or "Maiden's Choice," and it is often mentioned in the ancient legends.2 In Greek legends and myths, we meet with several instances of fighting or emulation for women. Pausanias tells us that Danaus established a race for his daughters, and that "he that outran all the rest was to have the first choice, and take her whom he most approved; he that was next in order was to have the second choice, and so on to the last; and those who had no suitors were ordered to wait till new ones came to the course." According to Pindar, Antæus, father of a fair-haired and greatly-praised daughter, who had many suitors, stationed the whole company of them at the end of the race-course, saying that he should have her for his bride who should prove foremost in the race and first touch her garments. Icarus likewise proposed a race for the suitors of Penelope; and, as Mr. Hamilton remarks, "the triumph of Odysseus over the Suitors is the real end of the Odyssey." 6 According to Dr. Krauss, the South Slavonian youths on Palm Sunday, the day for presentiments of love, wrestle with each other, believing that he who proves the stronger will get the prettier wife. Arthur Young informs us of the following strange custom which prevailed in the interior of Ireland in his time:" There is a very ancient custom here," he says, "for a number of country neighbours among the poor people to fix upon some young woman that ought, as they think, to be married; they also agree upon a young fellow as a proper 4 5 1 Steller, loc. cit. p. 348. Cf. 'Das Ausland,' 1875, p. 738 (Tanguts). 2 Samuelson, 'India, Past and Present,' p. 48. 3 Pausanias, loc. cit. book iii. ch. 12. 4 Pindar, 'Пúbia,' ode ix. v. 117. 5 Pausanias, book iii. ch. 12. Homer's Odyssey,' Books xxi.-xxiv. (edited by Hamilton), Preface, 7 Krauss, loc. cit. pp. 163, et seq. P. 5. husband for her; this determined, they send to the fair one's cabin to inform her that on the Sunday following 'she is to be horsed,' that is, carried on men's backs. She must then provide whisky and cider for a treat, as all will pay her a visit after mass for a hurling match. As soon as she is horsed the hurling begins, in which the young fellow appointed for her husband has the eyes of all the company fixed on him if he comes off conqueror, he is certainly married to the girl; but if another is victorious, he as certainly loses her, for she is the prize of the victor. . . . Sometimes one barony hurls against another, but a marriageable girl is always the prize.”1 The sexual struggle in the animal kingdom is not always of a violent kind. As Mr. Darwin has pointed out, males often try by peaceful emulation to charm the female. In many species of birds the male seems to endeavour to gain his bride by displaying his colours and ornaments before her, or exciting her by his love-notes, songs, and antics. But among the lower Mammals he wins her, apparently, much more through the law of battle than through the display of his charms.2 There can scarcely be any doubt that the same was the case with primitive men; but we need not mount many steps of human progress to find that courtship involves something more than a mere act of strength or courage on the part of the male. It is not only in civilized countries that it often means a prolonged making of love to the woman. Mariner's words with reference to the women of Tonga hold true for a great many, not to say all, savage and barbarous races now existing. "It must not be supposed," he says, "that these women are always easily won; the greatest attentions and most fervent solicitations are sometimes requisite, even though there be no other lover in the way. This happens sometimes from a spirit of coquetry, at other times from a dislike to the party, &c." 3 Though generally playing the less active part in courtship, 2 1 Young, 'Tour in Ireland,' in Pinkerton, 'Collection of Voyages,' vol. iii. p. 860. Darwin, 'The Descent of Man,' vol. ii. p. 257. 3 Martin, loc. cit. vol. ii. p. 174. Cf. Fritsch, loc. cit. p. 445 (Bushmans). the woman does not by any means indulge in complete passivity. Mr. Hooper tells us that, among the Indians at James's Bay, "two young Indian women were observed some years ago in violent conflict. . . . After a lengthened and determined struggle the weakest succumbed to the superior prowess of her fortunate adversary. It appeared that these girls were in love with the same man, and had selfinstituted this mode of deciding their claims."1 Among the Wintun of California, according to Mr. Powers, when any man other than a chief attempts to introduce into his wigwam a second partner of his bosom, the two women dispute for the supremacy, often in a desperate pitched battle with sharp stones; "they maul each other's faces with savage violence, and if one is knocked down her friends assist her to regain her feet, and the brutal combat is renewed until one or the other is driven from the wigwam."2 Peltier states that, in the Australian tribe already referred to, the women, of whom from two to five commonly belong to each man, fight among themselves about him, "their weapons being heavy staves, with which they beat one another about the head till the blood flows." In the Kingsmill Islands, women sometimes, from jealousy, carry a small weapon, watching an opportunity of making an attack upon their rivals, desperate fights being the consequence; and, among the Kamchadales also, the females are said to have fought for the males. But far more commonly women try to secure men's love by coquetry or the display of their charms. Finally, whilst the men are generally the courters, the women may in many, perhaps most cases, accept or refuse their proposals at pleasure. The next chapter will be devoted to an account of some of the most common means by which the sexes endeavour, or formerly endeavoured, to make themselves attractive to one another, and to stimulate each other's passions. Then we shall see how far woman has the liberty of disposing of her own hand, and, at the same time, note cases in which the man also, with regard to his marriage, has to submit to some other's will. 1 Hooper, loc. cit. p. 390. 3 Spencer, The Principles of 4 Wilkes, loc. cit. vol. v. p. 90. 2 Powers, loc. cit. pp; 238, et seq. CHAPTER IX MEANS OF ATTRACTION THE desire for self-decoration, although a specifically human quality, is exceedingly old. There are peoples destitute of almost everything which we regard as necessaries of life, but there is no people so rude as not to take pleasure in ornaments. The ancient barbarians who inhabited the south of Europe at the same time as the reindeer and the mammoth, brought to their caves brilliant and ornamental objects.1 The women of the utterly wretched Veddahs in Ceylon decorate themselves with necklaces of brass beads, and bangles cut from the chank shell.2 The Fuegians "are content to be naked," but "ambitious to be fine."3 The Australians, without taking the slightest pride in their appearance, so far as neatness or cleanliness is concerned, are yet very vain of their own rude decorations. And of the rude Tasmanians, Cook tells us that they had no wish to obtain useful articles, but were eager to secure anything ornamental. "Great as is the vanity of the civilized," says Mr. Spencer, "it is exceeded by that of the uncivilized." The predilection of savages for ornaments has been sufficiently shown by travellers in almost every part of the world. Feathers and beads of different colours, flowers, rings, anklets, and bracelets, are common embellishments. A fully-equipped Santal belle, 1 Spencer, 'The Principles of Sociology,' vol. i. 2 Emerson Tennent, loc. cit. vol. ii. p. 443. 3 Hawkesworth, 'Voyages.' vol. ii. p. 55. 4 Eyre, loc. cit. vol. ii. p. 209. 5 Spencer, vol. i. p. 64. p. 64. |