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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



outside the relation of brother and sister could marry, although 

 marriage of first cousins was greatly disliked. Polygamy pre- 

 vailed among those who could afford it, and whose circumstances 

 or inclination led into it, "but as the tribe supported all in food, 

 the mean men would be prevented, in some way or another, from 



having large establish- 

 ments." Betrothal of chil- 

 dren was common among 

 people of high birth. " If 

 no betrothal, there was 

 generally a lot of talk and 

 squabbling, every one in 

 the tribe thinking he had 

 a right to interfere, till at 

 last the young couple, if 

 lovers, would flee to the 

 bush until their living to- 

 gether was agreed to. The 

 girl generally began the 

 courting. I have often 

 seen the pretty little love 

 letter fall at the feet of a 

 lover — it was a little bit 

 of flax made into a half 

 knot ; e yes ' was made by 

 pulling the knot tight, 

 ' no ' by leaving the ' matrimonial noose ' alone. . . . Sometimes 

 in the whare matoro (the wooing-house), a building in which the 

 young of both sexes assembled for play, songs, dances, etc., there 

 would be at stated times a meeting ; when the fires burned low, 

 a girl would stand up in the dark and say, ' I love So-and-so — 

 I want him for my husband.' If he coughed (sign of assent) or 

 said ' yes/ it was well ; if only dead silence, she covered her head 

 with her robe and was ashamed. This was not often, as she gen- 

 erally had managed to ascertain (either by her own inquiry or by 

 sending a girl friend) if the proposal was acceptable. On the other 

 hand, sometimes a mother would attend, and say, ' I want So-and- 

 so for my son/ If not acceptable, there was generally mocking, 

 and she was told to let the young people have their house (the 

 wooing-house) to themselves. Sometimes, if the unbetrothed pair 

 had not secured the consent of the parents, a late suitor would 

 appear upon the scene, and the poor girl got almost hauled to 

 death between them all. . . . Girls have been injured for life in 

 these disputes, or even murdered by the losing party. There was 

 generally a show of force, more or less severe ; but after she had 

 been taken away, the parents came to see the pair, and when 



Maori Woman. 



