2 4 o PRIMITIVE PATERNITY 



freely resorted to, and the solemnity ends with an orgy. 

 When it is time to return home the track is strewn 

 with men and women who, overcome with the effects 

 of their spree, have lain down wherever they happened 

 to be to sleep themselves sober. Especially at the 

 agricultural festivals sexual promiscuity takes place ; 

 and perhaps it is in some measure at least looked upon 

 as a ritual performance not unpleasing to the higher 

 powers. 1 



In South America among the tribes of the Para- 

 guayan Chaco very little jealousy appears to exist. A 

 missionary who records this thinks it speaks well for 

 the women ; but, on the other hand, he definitely states 

 in the next sentence that no punishment is meted out 

 to the offender for theft fraud or adultery. 2 The 

 women of the Mboyas, one of the Paraguayan tribes, 

 bestowed their favours on the slightest inducement 

 being held out to them. Generally among the Para- 

 guayan tribes it is said that chastity was entirely 

 unknown ; fathers-in-law freely indulged in sexual 

 intercourse with their daughters-in-law. The animal 

 passions were gratified in public without concealment. 

 A wife could be put away without the least formality ; 

 no shame or dishonour on either side attached to 

 repudiation. Among some tribes polygyny was 

 permitted only to the cacique. He claimed the 

 privilege of selecting the fairest damsel of the village 

 as his bride, and he sometimes handed her over to his 

 ollow ers to be deflowered. 3 The Araucanians cele- 



i Lumholtz, Unknown Mexico > i. 352. 2 Grubb, 103. 



a Featherman, Guarano-Mar, 435. There seem to have been 

 great differences among the tribes in their customs and sexual 

 norality. 



