490 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION G. 



to minister to his comfort ; hence chiefs and men of importance 

 multiply their wives without limit. Chastity among the young- 

 people is very slightly observed, and this fact applies to both races ; 

 but adultery is punished with jealous vengeance in the case of the 

 weaker sex, the Papuan in this respect, showing the gi'eater and 

 more implacable rage. In the New Hebrides married women are 

 often ruthlessly murdered on lightly-founded suspicion. 



The aged are respected and well cared for among the Malayans 

 by their children and relatives ; but this regard is sadly lacking in 

 the Papuans. In Eastern Polynesia, although a native teacher 

 will readily leave his children to the care of relatives, in order to 

 go to a distant sphere, he will hardly abandon an aged parent or 

 foster-parent who needs his care : " Suffer me first to bury my 

 dead," is no vain excuse with him. 



The rights of sepulture are solemnly observed by the Malay 

 race. Chiefs of distinction are often embalmed, and the body is 

 preserved in a house erected for it, and is held very sacred. The 

 burying places are equally regarded with something like super 

 sttious awe. They have no cemeteries, but bury their dead on 

 their own grounds. In Samoa, if a body be lost beyond recovery, 

 as at sea, the near relatives seek some insect or animal, whichever 

 comes first upon a cloth spread for the purpose, into which they 

 believe the spirit of the deceased has entered, and that object is 

 then carefully wrapped up and buried with some ceremony and 

 lamentation. The Papuans treat the dead with scant respect, in 

 some cases the body being cast into the sea, or thrown indifferently 

 into cavernous holes in the bush ; in others the dead are placed in 

 various postures in caverns set apart for the purpose. In the 

 Loyalty Islands there are several Petra^s. 



Mourning is differently observed. Among the Malayans 

 burnings for the dead (not cremation) were continued for some 

 days, during which periods the relations kept a strict fast. The 

 ordinary apparel and all ornaments were laid aside by the 

 mourners ; at times, in a frenzy of grief, they were violently 

 torn off" and destroyed. The near relations would often cut and 

 bruise themselves with shark's teeth and stones. In the New 

 Hebrides the relatives painted face and body black, with charcoal 

 and oil, which "mourning" they wore for many days. In New 

 Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands mourners smeared their bodies 

 with white wood ashes. In the New Hebrides widows were 

 strangled to accompany their dead husbands, and sometimes 

 mothers, to follow their infants to the other world. Time will 

 not allow details of customs in other parts of Polynesia. 



Space will permit a brief view only of some domestic habits of 

 these races. In Eastern Polynesia the cooking is performed 

 chiefly by the males, even chiefs will take part in the culinary 

 operations. The firewood and small hard stones required for their 

 ovens are collected by men. A great variety of tasty dishes are 



