488 SYSTEMS OF CONSANGUINITY AND AFFINITY 



savages of this description, is not improbable ; neither is it a violent supposition 

 that they, as well as the ancestors of the present barbarous nations, once lived in 

 a state of promiscuous intercourse, of which, as to the latter, their systems of 

 consanguinity and affinity still embody the evidence. To raise mankind out of 

 this condition could only be accomplished by a series of reformatory movements, 

 resulting in the development of a series of customs and institutions for the govern- 

 ment of their social life. 



II. Intermarriage or Cohabitation of Brothers and Sisters. 



This practice, which the previous condition necessarily involved, would tend to 

 regulate as well as to check the gregarious principle. It would, probably, be the 

 normal condition of society under this principle ; and, when once established, 

 would be apt to perpetuate itself through indefinite, or at least immensely long 

 periods of time. It gives the starting point and the foundation of the Malayan 

 system of relationship, which, in turn, is the basis of the Turanian and Ganowa- 

 nian. Without this custom it is impossible to explain the origin of the system 

 from the nature of descents. There is, therefore, a necessity for the prevalence of 

 this custom amongst the remote ancestors of all the nations which now possess the 

 classificatory system, if the system itself is to be regarded as having a natural 

 origin. 



III. The Communal Family. 



Such a family resulted necessarily from the custom last considered. The union 

 of effort to procure subsistence for the common household, led to communism in 

 living. This probable organization of society, in the primitive ages, into communal 

 families, and which continued long after the intermarriage of brothers and sisters 

 was abolished, has not been sufficiently estimated in its bearings upon the early 

 condition of mankind. Without being able to assert the fact, there are strong 

 grounds for supposing that most barbarous nations at the present time, although 

 marriage between single pairs exists, are now organized into such families, and 

 practise communism as far as the same can be carried out in practical life. The 

 American aborigines have lived, and still live to a greater or less extent, in commu- 

 nal families, consisting of related persons, and practise communism within the house- 

 hold. This feature of their ancient mode of life can still be definitely and widely 

 traced amongst them. It also entered into and determined the character of their 

 architecture. 1 



1 This principle entered into and determined the character of their architecture, as soon as they 

 gathered in villages. This may be illustrated by a brief reference to the character of their houses. 

 Tiotohatton, one of the ancient Seneca villages near Rochester, is thus described by Mr. Green- 

 halgh, who visited it in 1677. (Doc. Hist. N. Y., I, 13.) "It lyes to the westward of Canagora 

 [Canandaigua] about 30 miles, contains about 120 houses, being the largest of all the houses we 

 saw; the ordinary being 50 to 60 feet long, with twelve and thirteen fires in one house." A house 

 with ten fires would be about seventy feet long and eighteen wide, and comparted at intervals of 

 seven feet, with a hall through the centre, and a door at each end. The fire-pits were in the centre 

 of the hall, one between each two compartments. Each family or married pair used one compart- 

 ment, and each pair of families on opposite sides of the hall used the fire in common. Such a house 

 would accommodate twenty families, usually consisting of related persons who shared their provisions 

 in common. Some years ago I had a model of one of these ancient houses constructed to ascertain 



