236 THE NICOBARESE 



that exists widely spread in this portion of the world amongst 

 the Malayan and Indo-Chinese peoples. 



Until he marries, a man considers himself a member of his 

 father's household, but after that event he calls himself the son 

 of his father-in-law, and becomes a member of his wife's family, 

 leaving the house of his own parents, or even his village, if the 

 woman dwell elsewhere.* 



Only the chiefs, or wealthy men whose positions in the 

 village are of influence, are exceptions to this law; they are 

 permitted by custom to bring their wives to their own houses.f 



There is no law of exogamy amongst them — a man marries 

 in his own village, village-group, or even house ; for although 

 connections between blood relatives are disapproved of, there is 

 nothing to prevent such taking place, except public opinion, which 

 may often be disregarded with impunity. 



The woman on her marriage brings no special dower into 



* (a) "Amongst the Dyaks . . . newly-married couples do not go to live 

 in a new house of their own, but a compartment is set apart for them in 

 the house of the bride's parents." — Hickson's North Celebes^ p. 286. 



{b) " The marriage customs throughout the Sangir, Talant, and Sian 

 Archipelago are based on the old matriarchal system — that is, when a 

 man is married he becomes a member of his wife's family, and must leave 

 his own and go to live in the village or the house of his wife's parents." 



—P. 197- 



{c) " When a Dyak marries he enters the family of his wife, and lives in 

 her parents' house till the couple set up for themselves, which is generally 

 not for some time afterwards." — Denison. 



{d) " If the suitor among the Battas is too poor to pay the price for a wife, 

 he may contract the ambil anak marriage, which obliges him to become a 

 member of the family of the bride's parents and live with them in the same 

 dwelling : he is required to work for his father-in-law, and attend to the ordinary 

 agricultural labour." — Social History of the Races of Mankind, A. Featherman. 



{e) " New couples mostly start life in the young wife's home, the lad 

 working for her parents, and as families come, the elder pairs are established 

 in houses of their own." — Burmah, M. and B. Ferrars. 



t Cf. A Naturalist in North Celebes, S. I. Hickson, p. 198. — " In the 

 Sangir Islands the only persons who are free from the matriarchal system 

 are the sons of the rajahs, who do as they please about following their 

 wives." P. 286 — " Among the Dyaks of Sarawak we find . . . that in some 

 cases the man does not follow the woman ; but if he is of higher rank, or 

 the only support of aged parents, the woman is obliged to come and live in 

 his family." 



