148 Professor A. C. Haddon [May 23, 



The girl's heart being won by prowess, dancing skill, or fine 

 appearance, she would plait a string armlet, tiapururu ; this she 

 intrusted to a mutual friend, preferably the chosen one's sister. On 

 the first suitable opportunity, the sister said to her brother, 

 " Brother, I have some good news for yon. A woman likes you." On 

 hearing her name, and after some conversation, if he was willing 

 to go on with the affair, he told his sister to ask the girl to keep 

 some appointment with him in the bush. 



When the message was delivered, the enamoured damsel informed 

 her parents that she was going into the bush to get some wood or 

 food, or made some such excuse. 



In due course the couple met, sat down and talked, the proposal 

 being made with perfect decorum. 



The following conversation is given in the actual words used by 

 my informant, Maino, the chief of Tud. 



Opening the conversation, the man said, " You like me proper ? " 



" Yes," she replied, " I like you proper with my heart inside. 

 Eye along my heart see you — you my man." 



Unwilling to rashly give himself away, he asked, " How you like 

 me?" 



" I like your fine leg — you got fine body — your skin good — I like 

 you altogether," replied the girl. 



After matters had proceeded satisfactorily, the girl, anxious to 

 clench the matter, asked when they were to be married. The man 

 said, " To-morrow, if you like." 



They both went home and told their respective relatives. Then 

 the girl's people fought the man's folk, " For girl more big [i.e. of 

 more consequence] than boy ; " but the fighting was not of a serious 

 character, it being part of the programme of a marriage. 



" Swapping " sisters was the usual method of getting a wife. If 

 a man had no sisters he might remain unmarried, unless he was rich 

 enough to pay for a wife with a shell armlet {waiwi), or a canoe, or 

 something of equal value. If a youth was " hard up," an uncle might 

 take compassion on him and give one of his own daughters in 

 exchange for a wife for his nephew. 



This exchange of girls — a sister for a sister, or female cousin for 

 another man's sister — was an economical method of getting a wife, 

 as one was a set off against the other. The usual feasting occurred, 

 but the presents were dispensed with, or at all events the purchase 

 money was saved, and probably there would be no fighting. 



When a young man of the Eastern Tribe arrived at an under- 

 standing with a girl, he put his gelar (" law " i.e. " tabu ") on her, 

 and made arrangements to fetch her away. She kept awake on the 

 appointed night, listening for the preconcerted signal, and they 

 quietly stole away to his parents' house, and the next morning he sent 

 a messenger to say where the girl was. The girl's friends armed 

 themselves with bows and arrows, shark's teeth fastened on to sticks, 

 and other weapons, and proceeded to the other village, but the fight 



