ere, takes a part in
all the labours, and most particularly in those labours depending
upon the young maid's superintendence. He now undertakes a service
or task that lasts, more or less, two, three, or four years, during
which time he must look well to himself; for if anything be found
out against him he is discarded, and never more can pretend to the
hand of her he would espouse.

The Spaniards did their best to suppress this custom, on account of the
inconveniencies it entailed. Very often the father of a young girl,
in order to keep in his service a man who cost him nothing, keeps on
this state of servitude indefinitely, and sometimes dismisses him who
has served him for two or three years, and takes another under the same
title of pretendant, or lover. But it also frequently happens that
if the two lovers grow impatient for the celebration of the marriage
ceremony--for "hope deferred maketh the heart sick,"--some day or
other the girl takes the young man by the hair, and presenting him
to the curate of the village, tells him she has just run away with
her lover, therefore they must be married. The wedding ceremony then
takes place without the consent of the parents. But were the young
man to carry off the young girl, he would be severely punished,
and she restored to her family.

If all things have passed off in good order, if the lover has undergone
two or three years of voluntary slavery, and if his future relations
be quite satisfied with his conduct and temper, then comes the day
of the second ceremony, called Tajin-bojol, "the young man desirous
of tying the union knot."

This second ceremony is a grand festival-day. The relations and
friends of both families are all assembled at the bride's house,
and divided into two camps, each of which discusses the interests of
the young couple; but each family has an advocate, who alone has the
right to speak in favour of his client. The relations have no right
to speak; they only make, in a low tone of voice, to their advocate,
the observations they think fit.

The Indian woman never brings a marriage portion with her. When she
takes a husband unto herself she possesses nothing; the young man alone
brings the portion, and this is why the young girl's advocate speaks
first, and asks for it, in order to settle the basis of the treaty.

I will here set before my readers the speeches of two advocates in a
ceremony of this kind, at which I had the curiosity to be prese