INLAND NEW GUINEA 119 



thereupon passes to the new man's control and 

 authority. In the case of a widow, the deceased 

 husband's family collect the payment from the next 

 suitor for her in marriage. In some tribes the com- 

 munity collects the payment in the case of widows. 

 " There is no recognition in the native laws or cus- 

 toms of the right of a woman to attain majority, but 

 amongst the more civilised natives of the division 

 we are gradually placing the woman in a position, to 

 emancipate herself from a condition which is distaste- 

 ful and objectionable to her, so she will be free to 

 choose her own partner in life. Experience in this 

 shows that the emancipation of the woman in this 

 respect has no disastrous effect on native family life. 

 It is, without a doubt, quite the other way, and the 

 woman having the right to refuse the man selected 

 for her, and marry the man of her affections and 

 choice, enters into a contented and happy partnership. 

 During the year, I have had several voluntary com- 

 plaints from young girls to the effect that they were 

 being forced by their parents to marry men whom 

 they disliked and did not wish to marry, and I have 

 prevented these marriages taking place, and arranged 

 that the girls should follow the dictates of their own 

 hearts, irrespective of the buying and selling pro- 

 pensities of their parents, and in every instance the 

 result has been most gratifying. As civilisation and 

 education spreads, it will be found that the native 

 woman's endeavours will tend towards a higher and 



