RISE OF FATHERRIGHT n 



than his wife does he forsake his birthplace. Marriage 

 thus results in no dwelling together of the married pair. 

 Married life reveals itself merely in the form of visits 

 which the husband pays to his wife. He comes, that 

 is to say, by day, helps her in her work in the rice- 

 fields and takes his midday meal with her. This at 

 least is the way it begins. Later the visits are more 

 seldom paid by day ; the man comes privately in the 

 evening to his wife's house, and stays there if he be a 

 faithful husband until the following morning." This 

 is parallel to the case of the Synteng husband ; but it is 

 instructive to find that the kindred populations lower 

 down the Indragiri valley, who have come more into 

 contact with the outside world have more and more 

 modified these strictly matrilineal customs. Thus 

 among the inhabitants of Tiga Loeroeng, though the 

 organisation of the suku is preserved, the husband 

 almost universally goes to live with his wife. He 

 either enters her house or builds a separate dwelling 

 for her and himself in the settlement of her suku. 

 This is the first step towards fatherright As yet, 

 however, the father has little authority over his 

 children, who still look to their mother's brother. 

 They inherit a part of any property their father may 

 leave at his death, in common with his sister's children, 

 and are liable for half his debts. In case of separation 

 between husband and wife the children follow the 

 mother. Still lower down the valley the ties of 

 mother-right are further loosened. Exogamy is not 

 insisted on. When a marriage takes place between 

 members of the different sukus the question where the 

 married pair are to reside depends on the relative 

 strength numbers and consideration of their respective 



