186 PEIMITIVE AGKICULTURAL EACES 



In general, however, it is clear that practically all women are 

 married from the beginning of and throughout the mature period. 



28. The important taboo upon sexual intercourse for a period 

 after child-birth is common. The Maori cease to cohabit * after 

 childbirth till the child is weaned '. l ' Throughout the Western 

 Islands (of the Torres Straits) cohabitation ceases early in preg- 

 nancy and is not resumed for some time, the baby sleeping 

 between the husband and wife. This restriction is in force in 

 Maburag until the child spontaneously endeavours to move 

 about. As a matter of fact another child is seldom born until 

 the previous one is some three or four years old.' 2 In Savage 

 Island ' the child was usually suckled about twelve months, 

 during which period there was strict sexual abstention between 

 the parents '. 3 According to Kubary the prohibited period lasted 

 ten months in the Pelew Islands, 4 and according to Kramer, six 

 months in Samoa. 6 A married woman among the Sinaugola * is 

 supposed to forego cohabitation during the period of suckling '. 6 

 In the neighbourhood of Finschafen in New Guinea, intercourse 

 is not resumed until the child can walk and speak. 7 With regard 

 to the Solomon Islands, Eibbe speaks of a * long period ' of 

 prohibition ; 8 with reference to New Caledonia, Glaumont speaks 

 of several months 9 and another observer of a considerable time 

 in this connexion. 10 * After the birth of a child (in the Bismarck 

 Archipelago) the husband was not supposed to cohabit with his 

 wife until the child could walk.' n ' During the whole of this 

 time [two or three years], unless he had more than one wife, 

 a Fijian was obliged to lead a life of celibacy.' 12 The same author 

 says that ' in Tonga and the Gilbert Islands the separation is 

 rigidly enforced '. 13 Another account places the length of the 

 period of separation in Fiji at three or ' even four years '. 14 



29. Here, as elsewhere, we find numerous references to practices 

 intended to render conception impossible. A good example is 

 found in Seligman's account of the Sinaugolo. ' There is generally 

 a woman in the village or one of the surrounding villages who is 



1 Tregear, loc. cit., p. 103. 2 Cambridge Anthropological Expedition, vol. v, 



p. 199. 3 Thomson, Savage Island, p. 141. 4 Kubary, Journal des 



Museum Godzffroy, vol. i, p. 54. 6 Kramer, Samoa-Inseln, vol. i, p. 38. 



Seligman, J. A. I., vol. xxxii, p. 302. See also Seligman, Melanesians, p. 86. 

 7 Schellong, Zeit. fur Eth. y vol. xxviii, p. 19. 8 Ribbe, loc. cit., p. 144. 



9 Glaumont, loc. cit., p. 80. 10 Lambert, Neo~Caledoniens, p. 104. " Brown, 

 Melanesians, p. 37. " Thomson, Fijians, p. 176. 13 Ibid., p. 178. 



14 Seeman, Viti, p. 191. 



