THE MODERN INHABITANTS. 129 
possession of property which the parents of both have been gradually 
accumulating for their benefit. A would-be purchaser of a plantation 
of young coconuts or perhaps of some lumber observed lying under 
a house will probably meet with a refusal, the owner saying that he 
has cleared ana planted the cocal for little Juan or Maria, or that 
he is accumulating a number of good posts so that Pedro may have a 
house of his own when he marries. Old bachelors and unmarried 
women are not common in Guam. Most families have several chil- 
dren, differing in this respect from the Samoans, where there are 
often only one or two, or where many of the women are barren. 
But before the American occupation the laws of the island did not per- 
mit divorce and remarriage, so that new alliances which might be 
formed by those who had separated could not be legalized. In con- 
sequence of this such unlegalized alliances have been held up as 
examples of the shocking immorality of the island, whereas, in reality, 
in most cases observed by the writer they were to all intents and pur- 
poses marriages in which the husband and wife were mutually faith- 
ful and the children in all cases well cared for. At the time of the 
American occupation prostitution was almost unknown on the island, 
though there were many cases of couples living together without hav- 
ing been married by the church or civil authorities. These alliances 
were looked down upon by the more respectable element, but as a rule 
illegitimacy was not considered a serious misfortune, and an unmarried 
mother was treated with pitying kindness by her neighbors. 
RELATIONS BETWEEN PARENTS AND CHILDREN.—The carefulness of 
parents to provide for their children has already been referred to. 
There are perhaps few countries in the world where greater attention 
is paid to the establishing of a young couple in life, though of course in 
Guam their wants are comparatively few on account of the simplicity 
of their surroundings and their mode of living. One of the «most 
striking features to a stranger is the conscientious way in which ille- 
gitimate children are provided for. While registrar of property on 
the island, the writer was struck in many cases by the earnest desire 
of fathers to secure legal titles for their illegitimate children to houses 
and plantations especially prepared for them, and the records show 
that some of the best estates on the island were the creation of unmar- 
ried parents for their children. On their part sons and daughters 
show the greatest respect and affection for their parents, recognizing 
their authority as long as they live. It is not unusual for a man or 
woman of 40 or 50 years to ask permission of his parents before engag- 
ing in a business transaction, and the spectacle of old women, aban- 
doned and forgotten by their children, acting as water carriers, etc., 
so common in Samoa and among our Indian tribes, is unknown in 
Guam. Parents are tenderly cared for in their old age, treated with 
deference even when in their dotage, and depart this life accompanied 
9773—05 y 
