559 



indeed, I saw that my informants would feel seriously uneasy 

 at such a breach of etiquette. I was told at one time that 

 men would never mention before women any words or topics 

 that would be considered indecent in our sense of the term. 



The division into clans is quite marked in village life, 

 members of the same clan associating much more 

 closely than those of different clans. The people naturally 

 keep to the neighbourhood of their houses when they go out 

 into the street or on the beach, and squat down to work or 

 gossip, or, as is most usual, to do both at the same time. 

 Unless on business, it is not usual for people to intrude 

 upon the grounds of another clan. The groups of women 

 engaged in pottery-making, or the men in making arm-shells, 

 etc., sit in the portion of street or beach adjoining the houses 

 of their clan, and the dancers, who for months rehearse the 

 dance before the feast, do so in front of the houses of the 

 clan that is giving the feast. 



3. Sexual Life and Marriage. 



Sexual Life before Marriage. — The love affairs of the 

 Mailu youths and maidens are settled in the manner typical 

 to the Papuo-Melanesians, which has been described by Prof. 

 Seligman in the case of the KoitaS'^^) As there are, how- 

 ever, notable differences in details, the general tone of the 

 whole proceedings being perhaps slightly stricter and more 

 decorous in Mailu than amongst the Port Moresby tribes, it 

 will be necessary to give a full account of the erotic life of 

 the Mailu. 



The boys and girls have perfect freedom to please them- 

 selves in choosing their lovers and in managing their intrigues. 

 This does not mean, of course, that there is anything like a 

 promiscuous intercourse or even anything approaching 

 licentiousness in sex matters. The stern correctness observed 

 in public life penetrates into the privacy of love-making, A 

 girl who changes her lover often is considered decidedly open 

 to blame; a girl once betrothed is bound to keep chaste, the 

 same rule of conduct applying to a boy. And far from being 

 polite and easy-going towards strangers in these matters, as 

 is the case with the Massim,^^^) the Mailu would never allow 

 a stranger to approach their women. This puritan feature 

 is shown nowadays in the fact that it is more difficult for a 

 white man to obtain favours from Mailu women than it is in 

 any other coastal districts; this was the verdict of all the 

 competent white Papuans I consulted on the matter. And 

 when, a few years ago, a beachcomber persuaded a married 



(33) C/. Seligman, ''Melanesians," chap, iv., p. 76. 



(34) C, G. SeUgman, ''Melanesians," p, 561. 



