THE BURMAN EMPIRE.

Bordering upon China, is the Burman Empire, containing a population of some 17,000,000 of souls. Here we find a strange mixture of respect and contempt for female sex. -She is not, as in most of the oriental nations, shut up as it were within the walls of a prison' and surrounded by guards; but she is allowed unrestrained intercourse with the world, not even excepting foreigners. The consequences has been such as might well teach their neighbouring nations a lesson of importance. The female is chaste-respects herself, and commands the respect of all with whom she mingles. She is very far, however, even here, from enjoying all those rights to which she is justly entitled. I believe there are no laws in Burmah against prostitution; and many a female is sold for the debts of her husband or father, and compelled to lead a life of shame. Men sell their wives and daughters to foreigners, and regard it as no disgrace. They are never allowed, however, to leave the country. Marriages are not contracted in infancy as in some other countries, by the parents and guardians of the parties; but when a man desires to make propositions for matrimony to a lady, he sends his mother

or some female friend to commence the negotiation in private; when, if she is disposed to second his advances, a party of his friends proceed to the residence of the intended wife, and superintend the adjustment of the marriage portion. On the morning of the wedding day, the bridegroom sends his bride various articles of ornament, dress, and jewelry, according to his rank and ability. The parents of the bride prepare a sumptuous feast. They eat from the same dish; present each other with pickled tea, and the ceremony is closed. The law prohibits polygamy; but a man may have as many concubines as his circumstances will afford.

HINDOOS.

The religion of the Hindoos strongly enjoins the duty of marriage, but does not approve the marriage of the younger children in advance of the elder. Among them, marriage is usually consummated at the ags of eleven years, or thereabouts; or as soon thereafter as the parties arrive at puberty. The marriages are celebrated with no inconsiderable degree of expense, parade, and circumstance; the conclusion of the whole of which is, by the bride's taking seven steps. In the

evening, the bridegroom shows his bride the polar star, as an emblem of stability and fidelity. The young married couple remain at the house of the bride's father for three days, when, with much ceremony, they repair to their future home. A barber liberates a cow, which has been tied in the northern side of the apart ment, and vehemently cries, "the cow! the cow!!" Instead of receiving a dower with the wife, as is very common in many countries, the husband bestows presents upon the father, often to a liberal extent—a sort of refinement upon the practice of purchasing a wife. Polygamy is permitted, but not often practiced.

THE ABYSSINIANS.

The Abyssinian nation is one of the most barbarous on earth, and probably places the slightest estimation of any upon the matrimonial relations. The contract is broken by either party at pleasure. Indeed, so utterly destitute are they of any proper notions regarding this institution, that one traveller considers marriage as scarcely existing at all among them, so great is the ease with which the contract may be formed and dissolved. The lover consults only the parents of the bride, and

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having obtained their favour to the enterprise, forcibly seizes her and carries her home on his shoulders, as a butcher would a shank of mutton. Sometimes, a little more formality is observed; the parties attending church for two or three weeks, and partaking of the sacrament together. One traveller relates that he met a lady of aristocratic rank at Gondar, in company with six men, who had successively been her husbands. Nothing is more common than polygamy in Abyssinia; though a great pre-eminence is allowed to one wife, and the rest are considered merely as concubines, people exhibit indications of most beastly degradation, and the deepest barbarism. None of the savage tribes of the earth are characterised by habits more gross and revolting than have been witnessed among the Abyssinians. The coarsest obscenity and indecencies are common at their feasts; such, indeed, that the bare REPORT of them, came very near having brought discredit upon one of our most eminent travellers, but whose testimony upon the point has since been fully confirmed by the uniform reports of others.

IN BARBARY,

A man may have four wives and as many concubines as suits his inclination. He can divorce a wife for various causes, and she enjoys the same privilege, if he does not provide for her, or if he curses her more than twice. Pure affection has but little influence in the formation

of their matrimonial engagements. The preliminary negociations are conducted wholly by the parents, and very often the parties do not see each other until they are married. The husband makes a sort of marriage settlement upon the wife, and if she brings property to his use at the time of the marriage, he is not at liberty to squander it for his own benefit; a humane and liberal provision, which is sometimes found of consequence among more enlightened nations. Several days, previous to the celebration of the conjugal rites, are devoted by both parties to festivity and mirth, without seeing each other. On the wedding day, the bride is carried to the husband's house, attended with music, torches, and the firing of musketry. When she enters the door, she exercises extraordinary caution not to touch the threshold. She covers her eyes with her hands: