278 A NATUBALIST IN CELEBES ch. xi 



brother and sister frequently lived together in bonds of 

 matrimony. 



The fact that many of the Miuahassers trace their descent 

 from the union of Lumimuiit with her son Toar shows at 

 least that they did not at one time regard such unions with 

 any great aversion. 



I have said above that marriage was permitted between 

 all persons except near relations ; but nevertheless it must 

 be remarked that marriages between persons of different 

 rank were not favoured, nor generally approved. 



We have numerous instances of this in the songs and 

 proverbs of the people (94) : — 



Ja wasiang kantare um paparondor meiilewo an suleng um 

 bakan somber. 



The wasan (a hard wood) (is) excellent for the props of the 

 rafters, (but it) has become bad by the supports of the young 

 wakan (a soft wood). 



Meikatijon witum panga pera. 



He or she has been seized by a withered bough. 



Kentur u Manado wo u Lembeh masuat uman ej owej ! 

 saanah masungkud-o makentur-o rombu-rombunan ej owej. 



The Manado mountain and the Lembej are of the same 

 height ; if they were joined together they would become a great 

 mountain. 



The first of these proverbs refers to a marriage between 

 persons of different ranks in society, the second to a 

 marriage of a man or woman with a slave, the thu-d to the 

 union of persons of the same rank. 



The laws in Minahassa regulating the inheritance 

 of property are rather complicated and difficult to under- 

 stand, on account of an important change which has taken 

 place in recent years in the tenure of possessions. In olden 

 times, when the family held communal possession of the 

 land and other properties (pusaka), the laws of inheritance 



