38 PRIMITIVE PATERNITY 



conclusion " at first the married couple would live with 

 the husband's friends, but afterwards would alternate 

 and sometimes stay [by which I understand make their 

 permanent abode~\ with the wife's relations." x Nauru is 

 an island in the Pacific Ocean, west of the Gilbert 

 group. Its population is derived from the Gilbert, 

 Marshall and Caroline Islands. Mother-right is the 

 rule here, and accordingly on marriage a man always 

 goes to his wife's house. When the eldest daughter 

 in a family marries her parents give up to her their 

 house and build a new one close by for themselves. 

 For each other daughter on marriage a new house is 

 built in the immediate neighbourhood. 2 Contrary to 

 most of the Micronesian islands the population ol 

 Yap reckon descent through the father ; yet not with- 

 out remains of an earlier stage. A man makes a 

 present to his father-in-law on his marriage ; but he 

 receives a present in return. He does not take his 

 wife to his home ; he goes to hers. Though mono- 

 gamy is the rule polygyny is recognised so far that a 

 man may have as many as four wives at one time. 

 Each of these wives lives with her own kin ; it would 

 seem therefore that he must visit them in turn. 

 Separation is common, and is allowed on almost any 

 pretext. There must however be some ground, it 

 only a trivial one. There is no distinction in law, and 

 not much in social standing, between legitimate and 

 illegitimate children : if the father will not take an 

 illegitimate child the mother's family will ; and it then 

 inherits from her father. 3 



Among Polynesian peoples it was the custom of 



1 Rev. A. E. Hunt,/. A. 1, xxviii. 6, 7, 9, 10. 



i xci. 76, 57. 3 //#. 141, 142, 



