. Women of all nations, a record of their characteristics, habits, manners, customs and influence; . orshe is consideredimpure ; her ham-mock is himg rightin the top of thehut, the smokiest])art, and for thefirst few days shemay not leave it,except at night ;then she lights afire and sits at ittill it is time for herto climb into herliammock some days sheis allowed to occupya screened-off cornerof the hut, whereshe stiU lives on hercassava bread. Tendays later themagician appears,murmurs spells overthe girl and all shehas touched, andthus frees them fromthe magical power she has im
. Women of all nations, a record of their characteristics, habits, manners, customs and influence; . orshe is consideredimpure ; her ham-mock is himg rightin the top of thehut, the smokiest])art, and for thefirst few days shemay not leave it,except at night ;then she lights afire and sits at ittill it is time for herto climb into herliammock some days sheis allowed to occupya screened-off cornerof the hut, whereshe stiU lives on hercassava bread. Tendays later themagician appears,murmurs spells overthe girl and all shehas touched, andthus frees them fromthe magical power she has imparted to them ;pots and other breakables are shattered,and the fragments buried. But this is notthe end of her troubles. After bathing,she is beaten by her mother at night, andmust sustain her ordeal without utteringa sound, for if she woke the other occupantsof the hut she would suffer for it in tlaefuture. The beating is repeated on another occa-sion, and then the maiden is free; if she hasbeen betrothed, her future husband appearsand carries her off without more ado. 362 WOMEN OF ALL NATIONS. miUmm i uw-_r,i/; /J Dr. Koch Griinbcrg. KAUA WOMAN, RIO AlARY,NORTH-WEST BRAZIL. Among the Caribs of British Guiana, theordeal was even more severe. The girlshair was burnt off, and the magician madetwo deep cuts with dasyprocta teeth downand across her back, and rubbed pepperinto them ; and here, too, the operationhad to be endured witliout a soimd. Thenthe girl was laid in her hammock, herarms tied to her body, and an amulet ofteeth round her. In this condition shehad to lie for three days without foodand drink, absolutely silent. She was thentaken back to the stone which served asa seat during the first operation—and onthe way her feet might not touch the groimd—and her fetters were taken off; butshe had to lie up in the hammock for afull month, and eat only imcooked rootsand cassava bread. At the end of themonth the whole performance was re-peated, and not till the third month
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