PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. 479 
in Polynesia at the present time he would be absolutely 
prevented from doing so, as under the present system 
they are considered as brother and sister. The respect 
paid to the sister’s children by the brother and his family 
in Polynesia is probably a survival of these class relation- 
ships, involving as they did different totems being used by 
the respective parties. In Duke of York the members of 
the secret society called ‘“iniat,”’ would not eat turtle, pig, 
shark, or cuttle-fish, not because these were considered as 
gods, but because they were the animals in which the 
spirits lived for awhile. The same ‘idea is also found in 
Samoa, and all Polynesian groups. These are but a few 
of the points of resemblance between these people. Many 
others could be adduced, but these are sufficient to show 
that in their ideas, beliefs, manners, and customs, there is 
much to suppose the presumption that they are all mem- 
bers of one common stock. 
