This large sum was asked on the ground that Satu wanted a guarantee that the suitor for his niece was wealthy before he would admit him into so great a family.
The young man was staggered at the price demanded; and tried to reduce it, without success. He was, however, enamoured of the lady, and at last promised to collect the various goods. But it required repeated trading expeditions about the country and to the coast before the young chief had added sufficient to his savings to pay the marriage money and meet the expenses of the wedding.
A few months passed, and Satu received word that the young chief had gathered the cloth and other articles; and requesting him to come and inspect them. This Satu did, and being satisfied with the quality of the cloth and the size of the pig, he arranged to return for the goods on a certain day and to bring the girl’s father[[54]] to be introduced to him.
The day arrived, and with it Satu and the girl’s father, accompanied by a man carrying their calabashes of palm-wine. The young man called some of his friends to help him drink the wine, and to act as witnesses. The uncle’s wine was drunk first, as he is always of more importance in these marriage transactions than the father, mother, or even the girl herself. After the uncle’s calabash was finished the father’s wine was drunk. The “money” was then counted, and the two blankets and one or two pieces of cloth were given to the father, but the rest was claimed[[55]] by the uncle.
Up to the present neither the girl nor her mother are supposed to have been consulted; but he would be indeed a foolish swain who went far in the “palaver” without knowing something of the girl’s feelings towards him, or sending presents to the girl’s mother.
This young man was well acquainted with the girl’s favourable regard for him, for had she not received little presents[[56]] from him? He knew, too, that his future mother-in-law was on his side, for he had acted generously towards her; hence, when questioned on the matter, she readily agreed[[57]] that the marriage could take place at once.
The young chief had seven wives already, consequently he was well versed in the rites and ceremonies of marriage. At these affairs there is generally a pretence at carrying off the bride; hence on the wedding-day the bridegroom, accompanied by many friends, went to the bride’s town, and as they drew near they beat their drums, shouted loudly, fired guns, and made as much noise as possible, as though they were attacking the town. There was a sham struggle, and at last the girl was carried off. This great ado was regarded as an honour to the girl, and a proof of the bridegroom’s position.
On returning to his own village the bridegroom told his friends to bring the drums and plenty of palm-wine, and on that and the succeeding three days goats and pigs were killed and eaten, palm-wine was drunk, and guns fired. The bride went without food the day before the wedding, and as a new wife she was not allowed to eat in sight of her husband for three months.
When the crowd had gone the elders met and gave the girl into the hands of the young chief, and they taught them both in the presence of witnesses. To the young woman they said: “You are to respect your husband and his family; and you are to behave yourself properly in your house. You have never had thieving or witchcraft palavers in the past; continue without them, and conduct yourselves properly towards each other.”
To the young man they said: “You are to respect your wife and her family; you must not speak harshly to her, nor treat her as a slave, nor stamp on her things, nor tread her beneath your feet.”