In Australia, the practice of early betrothal is nearly universal among
the natives; men of distinction having several wives at the same time,
and these varying in age from the little child to the woman of mature
years. But while polygamy prevails to a fearful extent among the men of
the wealthier class, many of the men of the humbler ranks remain
unmarried, because they are unable to raise the purchase-money which
secures them their domestic drudge. In the western part of Australia,
especially before the benefits of civilization began to be felt in the
island, it was the practice to betroth the daughters to some individual,
immediately upon their birth; and should the man, or male child to whom
the infant girl was betrothed, die before she arrived at maturity, she
became the property of the heirs of her betrothed husband, though she
might never have seen either this reputed husband, or the person who, as
his representative, claimed her as his wife by virtue of the betrothal.
In New Zealand, if the spouse of a female child dies before she is taken
to his home, she is never allowed to marry any one else. By this custom
young children become the widows of little boys or old men, according to
the whims of their fathers. Another horrible practice of the Australians
is, the exchange of daughters by their fathers. This is very common
among the chiefs, the exchange being made with as little concern as
jockeys exchange their horses. It is stated that the poorer men
sometimes supplied themselves with wives after the manner of the Romans
in the case of the Sabine Rape; and that when victorious in war, the
women and girls captured were taken as wives, while the male prisoners
were put to death. But where they were able to afford it, they preferred
the betrothal system, as giving them more consequence. Not only in
Australia, but in the other countries where early betrothal was
practiced, if, when a boy grew up, he formed a dislike to his betrothed,
or for some other whim desired to cast her off, he was at liberty to do