182 PRIMITIVE PATERNITY 



established custom. It "is observed mostly between 

 first and second cousins. Males entering into this 

 bond acquire the mutual right to the wives of one 

 another, a right which can be claimed at every meeting. 

 Nowadays marriage by interchange can be contracted 

 between unrelated parties even with people of foreign 

 tribes with whom close friendship has sprung up. A 

 bachelor and a widower living in the same camp with 

 a married man can form a like contract. This style of 

 marriage is only a system of polyandry. Sometimes 

 more than ten people may be affected by marriage 

 through interchange within one group, although three 

 or four are regarded as sufficient. Women gene- 

 rally are not averse to the custom." After this it 

 is superfluous to add, as the author quoted does : 

 " Chastity is not highly regarded." He mentions that 

 the language has no distinctive term for maiden, which 

 by itself does not afford an argument of much value, 

 though it is not without its significance in conjunction 

 with the facts recited. 1 



The Tunguz women are not very scrupulous about 

 keeping conjugal fidelity. They are almost always 

 alone in the house, for the men are away hunting or 

 looking after their cattle ; " and how can they avoid 

 the unexpected visits of wandering hunters who come 

 and cook at their hearths, and who from politeness 

 invite them to take a share of the fortune of the chase ? 

 Then as neither the men nor the women pride them- 

 selves much on delicacy, the rest easily comes about." 

 If a husband becomes aware of too frequent visits 



1 Bogoras, Amer. Anthr. N. S. iii. 102, 104. Id.Jesup Exped. vii. 

 400, 455. I am not sure whether I am right in concluding that 

 all the following Siberian and Aleutian tribes are patrilineal, 



