OP ARTS AND SCIENCES: FEBRUARY 11, 1868. 465 



Malayan system upon the basis of the assumed intermarriage of 

 brothers and sisters, and upon the Hawaiian custom. 



It will be remembered that under this system the primary relation- 

 ships only are recognized and named. These terms are applied to 

 consanguinei in a definite manner, by means of which they are reduced 

 to as many great classes as there are primary relationships. No dis- 

 tinction is made between lineal and collateral consanguinei, except that 

 they are distributed into classes. In a word, all consanguinei are either 

 fathers or mothers to each other, or brothers or sisters, sons or daugh- 

 ters, grandparents or grandchildren. It follows that a knowledge of 

 the degrees, numerically, forms an integral part of the system, with 

 certainty of parentage within prescribed limits. 



I. All the children of my several brothers, myself a male, are my 

 sons and daughters. Reason : I cohabit with all my brothers' wives, 

 who are my own wives as well (using the terms husband and wife in 

 the sense of the custom). As it would be impossible for me to distin- 

 guish my own children from those of my brothers, if I call any one 

 my child, I must call them all my children. One is as likely to be 

 mine as another. 



II. All the grandchildren of my several brothers are my grand- 

 children. Reason : They are the children of my sons and daughters. 



III. With myself a female, the foregoing relationships are the same. 

 The reason must be sought in the analogies of the system. As my 

 several brothers are my husbands, their children by other wives would 

 be my step-children, which relationship being unrecognized they natu- 

 rally fall into the category of my sons and daughters. These must be 

 the relationships, or none. 



IV. All the children of my several sisters, myself a male, are my 

 sons and daughters. Reason : I cohabit with all my sisters, who are 

 my wives. 



V. All the grandchildren of my several sisters are my grandchil- 

 dren. Reason : They are the children of my sons and daughters. 



VI. All the children of my several sisters, myself a female, are my 

 sons and daughters. Reason : I cohabit with all the husbands of my 

 sisters, who are my husbands as well. This difference, however, exists. 

 I can distinguish my own children from those of my sisters, to the lat- 

 ter of whom I am a step-mother. But since this relationship is not 

 discriminated they fall into the category of sons and daughters. 



VOL. VII. 59 



