238 THE NICOBARESE 



influential of the parents ; when older, they exercise an individual 

 choice.* 



From the nature of the marriage, the woman as often divorces 

 her husband as vice versa. 



The natives as a race are monogamous, but now and again 

 polygamy is found to occur. It is practised, however, only by 

 the chiefs and more wealthy men, who live in their own houses, 

 and can afford to domicile their wives in separate dwellings.-]- 



Cases of adultery are punished by a fine, but there is no 

 established amount. The village elders consult together as to 

 what the seducer shall be mulcted of, and generally decide on a 

 certain number of pigs, which are cut up and distributed among 

 the community.;!: 



There seems to be no objection to a girl having as many 

 lovers as she likes before marriage, and altogether the state when 

 entered upon is one that presses very lightly on the people. 

 There are few unwritten laws on the subject, and public opinion 

 is of hardly any weight. § 



Courtship, like marriage, is merely a variation of the Malayan 

 custom of nocturnal visiting, much simplified, however, by the 

 absence of any ceremonies to mark its change into a more stable 

 relationship. 



When a man desires to marry a girl, he contracts a friendship 



* Cf. A Naturalist m North Celebes, S. I. Hickson, p. 197. — "The rajah of 

 Morong, in the Talant Islands, told me, that in case of a divorce the children go 

 ' where they do not cry.' " P. 288 — " In some cases, the children, when the parents 

 are divorced, can choose the family to which they will afterwards belong." 



t Yassan of Kachal possessed three houses and three wives. Offandi, 

 headman of Mus, had two wives, and knew of others similarly situated. " I got 

 two wives now. I no want more than two wives one time ; plenty trouble. 

 Before I have other wives ; when young, I go with ." 



"Generally speaking, the native (of Sarawak) is content with a single wife ; 

 only wealthy men and chiefs have sometimes two or three." — Schwaner. 



\ This is the common practice of the Nicobarese. The fault of one is 

 punished for the benefit of all, and the person directly injured receives little 

 actual compensation. The custom is one that does not encourage litigiousness. 



§ The late " Davy Jones" of Kar Nicobar lived with two women who were 

 sisters of each other ; his neighbours looked on with much disapproval, but no 

 one ventured to interfere. 



