466 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



VII. All the children of several own brothers are brothers and sis- 

 ters to each other. Reason : These brothers cohabit with all the 

 mothers of these children. Among their reputed fathers none of these 

 children can distinguish their own father; but among the wives of these 

 several brothers, they can distinguish their own mother : whence, as 

 to the former, they are brothers and sisters to each other, but as to the 

 latter, whilst the children of a common mother are brothers and sisters 

 to each other, these are step-brothers and step-sisters to the children 

 of their mother's sisters. They thus, for reasons stated in similar 

 cases, fall into the relationships of brother and sister. 



VIII. The children of these collateral brothers and sisters are also 

 brothers and sisters to each other ; the children of the latter are 

 brothers and sisters again; and these relationships continue down- 

 ward amongst their descendants indefinitely, at equal removes from 

 the common ancestor. An infinite series is thus created, which be- 

 comes a fundamental part of the system. It is not easily ex- 

 plained. The Hawaiian custom, as stated, is limited to several 

 own brothers and their wives, and to several own sisters and their 

 husbands. To account for this infinite series, it must be further as- 

 sumed that this privilege of barbarism extended wherever the relation- 

 ship of brother and sister was recognized to exist ; each brother having 

 as many wives as he had sisters, and each sister having as many hus- 

 bands as she had brothers, whether own or collateral. 



IX. All the children of several own sisters are brothers and sisters 

 to each other ; all their children are brothers and sisters again ; and 

 so downward indefinitely. Reasons as in VII. and VIII. 



X. All the children of several own brothers on the one hand, and 

 of their several own sisters on the other, are brothers and sisters to 

 each other ; the children of the latter are brothers and sisters again ; 

 and so downward indefinitely. Reasons as in VII. and VIII. 



XI. All the brothers of my father are my fathers ; and all the 

 sisters of my mother are my mothers. Reasons as in I., III., and VI. 



XII. All the sisters of my father are my mothers ; and all the 

 brothers of my mother are my fathers. Reasons : My father cohabits 

 with all his sisters, and my mother cohabits with all her brothers. 



XIII. All the children of my collateral brothers and sisters are, 

 without distinction, my sons and daughters.* Reasons as in I., III., 

 IV, and VI. 



XIV. All the children of the latter are my grandchildren. Rea- 

 ons as in II. 



