1890.] on Manners and Customs of Torres Straits Islanders. 149 



was not a serious affair. On the same day the girl would be painted 

 red by her future mother-in-law, and clothed with a large number of 

 leaf petticoats ; and numerous ornaments would be suspended on her 

 back, these making a clanking sound whenever the girl moved. For 

 some months she remained in the house, and under the constant 

 supervision of her future mother-in-law, the young man residing 

 elsewhere. After say three months, negociations would commence 

 between the two families, and the girl's relations would come to 

 taaugwat (or scrape hands), and presents would be exchanged, and 

 some alteration made in the decking of the girl. After a further 

 probation period of a few months, some friend, in the secret, would 

 engage the young man in conversation, and the bride would steal up 

 behind him with some food she had previously cooked, and, while 

 still behind his back, would thrust it by his side. He, looking round, 

 exclaimed, " Why, that's my woman ! " and then hung down his head 

 in shame. Being informed that all was duly performed according 

 to old usage, the couple ate food together, this being the ratification 

 of the contract. 



It appears that in the Eastern Tribe marriage was regarded as 

 a state of " tabu," the man isolating one woman as his exclusive 

 property, for he had powers of life and death over his wife. For 

 several reasons I suspect that the Eastern Tribe has arrived at a 

 slightly higher stage in the evolution of the family than the Western, 

 as the man has a more independent position, and does not live more 

 or less with his wife's people after marriage, as is the custom among 

 the Western Tribe. In both tribes a wife had to be paid for ; a canoe, 

 dugong-harpoon, shell-armlet, or articles of equal exchange value, 

 being the usual price. 



Manhood is with us a gradual development of youth ; with nearly 

 all savages it is a state of privilege, the full advantages of which can 

 be gained only by the observance of special ceremonies. 



The growth of hair on the face warned the father that his boy 

 was growing up, and he consulted with other fathers who had sons of 

 about the same age. 



" Good thing, " he might have remarked ; " boy no stop along 

 woman now : he got hair, time we make him man now ; " and ar- 

 rangements would be duly made. 



The following information, respecting the former initiation cere- 

 monies, was gained at Tud (usually known as Warrior Island), the 

 natives of which island were probably the most warlike of all the 

 Western Islanders : — 



The lads were handed over to their uncles, or to some old man, 

 by their fathers, who then ceased to have any intercourse with them. 

 They were conducted to the Taiiohwod, or open space sacred to the 

 men, where no woman or child ever ventured, and which henceforth 

 had for them many deep-rooted associations. The uncles washed 

 the youths with water and then rubbed charcoal into the skin ; this 

 being daily repeated till the probation period was over. The lads were 



