2 9 o PRIMITIVE PATERNITY 



brother. Her ordinary oath is by her brother ; her 

 husband's is by his brother-in-law. Her sons as we 

 have seen take their uncle's side in war against their 

 own father and his relations. Though the father 

 often names his children the right to do so is also 

 exercised by the maternal uncle. On the Tami Islands 

 the masculine relatives of a woman dispose of her in 

 marriage ; but the decisive word belongs to her 

 brothers. They are called the owners of her children, 

 who though they may reside in their father's village 

 are only regarded as strangers there. In their uncle's 

 village they have rights of inheritance and there alone 

 can they attain the highest positions. Both about 

 Blanche Bay and on the Tami Islands the dignity of 

 chief is inherited by the nephew from his mother's 

 brother. 1 



InMelanesiakindred is reckoned through the mother. 

 On the Gazelle Peninsula of New Pomerania the 

 mother's brother is the head of the family. The father 

 cannot decide anything about his children. He rules 

 his mother and sisters ; but he has the disposal of his 

 wife only when he has paid the bride-price. Even then 

 she can leave him for the most trifling cause and seek 

 refuge and protection among her own kin. Thus wife 

 and children do not really belong to the husband and 

 father, but to the mother's maternal uncle or brother. 

 Neither the wife nor the children belong to the 

 husband's clan, nor do they inherit from him. At death 

 the property of husband or wife goes to the relatives of 



i Zeits. vergl. Rechtsw. xiv. 348, 349, 344, 352, 351, 353. 

 Similar customs seem to obtain among the Wedau and Wamira of 

 Bartle Bay ; but our information is not nearly so definite (Colonial 

 Reports^ No. 168, Brit.' New Guinea^ 1896, 40). 



