Original - North Central Michigan College Library

Many travelers have described the marriagesof the Indians, but as they have greatly disagreedin their delineations, I shall ventureto set down such particulars as have presentedthemselves to my immediate view. Thoughinserted here, they have no exclusive relationto the Osinipoilles, all the Indians whomI have seen having similar customs on thishead.A young man, desirous of marrying a particularyoung woman, visits the lodge in which shelives at night and when all the family, or ratheron their mats around.families, are sleepingHe comes provided with a match, or splintthe embers ofof wood, which he lights amongone of the fires which are in the middle ofthe lodge. The only intention of this is the veryobvious one of finding by the help of the lightthe young woman whom he means to visit, andwhom, perhaps, he has to awaken. This done,he extinguishes the light. In speaking to herhe whispers, because it is not necessary todisturb all the lodge, and because somethinglike privacy and secrecy belong to the natureof the occasion.If she makes no reply to hisaddress, he considers his attempts at acquaintanceas repulsed, and in consequence retires.If the young woman receives him with favorhe takes part of her mat. He brings with himhis own blanket.I consider this practice asof Newprecisely similar to the bundlingEngland and other countries; and, to say the290