[363] Sleeman, _Rambles of an Indian Official_, i. 43. "Banotsarg is the name given to the marriage ceremony performed in honour of a newly planted orchard, without which preliminary observance it is not proper to partake of its fruit. A man holding the Salagram personates the bridegroom, and another holding the sacred Tulsi personates the bride. After burning a hom or sacrificial fire, the officiating Brahmin puts the usual questions to the couple about to be united. The bride then perambulates a small spot marked out in the centre of the orchard. Proceeding from the south towards the west, she makes the circuit three times, followed at a short distance by the bridegroom holding in his hand a strip of her chadar of garment. After this, the bridegroom takes precedence, making his three circuits, and followed in like manner by his bride. The ceremony concludes with the usual offerings" (Elliot, _Folklore of North-west Provinces of India_, i. 234). [364] Myths explaining the domestication of animals belong to this stage of culture. The dog is a sacred animal among the Khasis, with certain totemic associations, and there is a very realistic and humanising myth relating how the dog came to be regarded as the friend of man (Gurdon, _The Khasis_, 51, 172-3). The Kyeng creation legend includes a good example of animal friendship with man (Lewin, _Wild Races of South-east India_, 238-9). The American creation myths afford remarkable testimony to this view of the case. "Game and fish of all sorts were under direct divine supervision ... maize or Indian corn is a transformed god who gave himself to be eaten to save men from hunger and death" (Curtin, _Creation Myths of Primitive America_, pp. xxvi, xxxviii). The Narrinyeri Australians "do not appear to have any story of the origin of the world, but nearly all animals they suppose anciently to have been men who performed great prodigies, and at last transformed themselves into different kinds of animals and stones" (Taplin, _The Narrinyeri_, 59). [365] _Legend of Perseus_, i. cap. vi. [366] _Secret of the Totem_, 29. [367] Mitchell, _Australian Expeditions_, i. 307; _cf._ Fison and Howitt, _Kamilaroi and Kurnai_, 200, 224; Taplin, _The Narrinyeri_, 10. [368] Curr, _Australian Race_, i. p. 193; _cf._ Smyth, _Aborigines of Victoria_, ii. p. 316. [369] Fison and Howitt, _Kamilaroi and Kurnai_, 66, 285, 289. [370] Fison and Howitt, _op. cit._, 68, 73. [371] Lang, _Secret of the Totem_, 64. [372] Spencer and Gillen, _Central Tribes_, 7. [373] Spencer and Gillen, _Central Tribes_, 120, 124, 133. [374] _Globus_, xci, a very important criticism of Spencer and Gillen's work. [375] Spencer and Gillen, _op. cit._, 139, 154. [376] Spencer and Gillen, _Northern Tribes_, 144. [377] _Globus_, xci, gives important evidence of traces of female descent among the Arunta.