CH. XI CUSTOMS OF THE MINAHASSEBS 287 



family, and share the benefits of it equally. On the death 

 of the woman, the widower remains in the house of her 

 parents until the funeral feast is over, and then the pro- 

 perty which is left (when the expenses of the feast have 

 been paid) is divided into two equal portions ; one half goes 

 to the widower and the other is divided among the children ; 

 if there are no children it goes to the next of kin of the 

 deceased woman. On the death of the man, however, the 

 whole of the estate remains as the common property of the 

 woman and her children, but if there are no children it 

 is divided into two halves, one of which is retained by 

 the widow, the other going to the parents of the deceased 

 man. 



The children of the Dyaks are not considered to belong 

 exclusively either to the father or the mother, and upon the 

 death of the latter, although they would naturally remain 

 in her family, they can choose which family they will 

 belong to, the father's family or the mother's family. 



This system is evidently a modification of the strict 

 matriarchy found amongst the Padangers in Sumatra, the 

 modification having arisen probably from a slackening of 

 the laws of exogamy. 



An important thing to note, however, is that in some 

 cases the man does not follow the woman ; but if he is of 

 higher rank, or the only support of aged parents, the woman 

 is obhged to come and live in his family. 



A system very similar to this existed within recent 

 years in the kingdom of Bolang Mongondu; but it has 

 been rather corrupted of late years by the influence of 

 Islamism (90). 



Less modified than this is the system found in the 

 Nanusa archipelago and in the Talaut islands. In Nanusa 

 and many parts of the Talaut islands we find the large 

 houses similar to those in Borneo, the marriages are truly 



