THE TINGGIAN. 203 



assist in the care of the children, especially the babies. Hunting and 

 fishing employ the man's extra time. 



During the dry season bonfires are built at night in various parts 

 of the village; about these the women will gather to spin and the men 

 to make nets, while some good singer or story teller will entertain with 

 tales of the adventures of some mythical hero, of contests with strange 

 huge animals, or of beings with supernatural power. 



GOVERNMENT. 



The old men of a \'illage constitute its ruling class. Of this number, 

 there is usually one who by reason of his wealth, integrity, or superior 

 knowledge of the customs, is called Lakwij, and to him, all matters of 

 dispute are brought for adjustment. If the case is of importance, or 

 difficult to settle, he will summon the other old men who will deliberate 

 on and decide the questions at issue. They have no means of enforcing 

 their decisions on the people other than that it is custom to obey, and 

 the offender is ostracized until -he has met the conditions imposed. A 

 pig and a jar of hasi are furnished for such a gathering and the person 

 judged to be in error must stand the cost of the meeting. A young 

 man has little or no voice in the conduct of affairs; even his own life 

 and actions are largely regulated by his older relatives. The woman 

 seldom participates in the general councils, but in daily life she is quite 

 as independent as her husband and with him has equal rights to bring 

 her grievances to the attention of the Lakay.- The wealth and the 

 standing of a man's ancestors in a community have much to do with his 

 position and power, but age outweighs all other considerations. Since 

 the American occupation local self-government has been established in 

 many of the towns. The contest for office and government recognition 

 of the officials is tending to break down the old system and to concentrate 

 the power in the presidente. 



In daily life there is no strong class distinction (with the exception 

 of the pota), but during ceremonies and functions, one class is sharply 

 marked. The members of this are Imown individually and collectively 

 as alopogan; for lack of a better name, I shall call them mediums. 

 There is no organization to this class: men or women who are named 

 by the spirits to become alopogan, either through other mediums, in 



- An exception to this is the pota, a class made up of those women who live 

 with men not their husbands. Such a woman is held somewhat in contempt by 

 the other women; and she is seldom seen at the camp fire gatherings or in other 

 houses. Her children belong to the father; and she has no right of appeal to 

 the old men, except in cases of cruelty. Men with concubines do not suffer in 

 the estimation of their fellow-men, but are considered clever to be able to have 

 two or three women in addition to their wives. The pota is usually faithful 

 to one man, and prostitution, as such, is almost unknown. 



