258 S. E. Pea — Communal Barracks of Primitive Races. [No. 3, 



other islands the young, unmarried men in a village always sleep in 

 a large house specially set apart for them." And in the Pelew Islands 

 " in each village there are large club-houses to which the younger 

 men resort, a few women from neighbouring villages also frequent 

 them. It is not considered comme il faut for a woman to enter one 

 in her own village. If she did she would become an outcaste ; going 

 into one a mile or two off, however, in no way affects her position." 



As far off indeed as New Zealand we find the so-called " bachelors' 

 barracks " have spread from Polynesia. In a note from Mr. S. Percy 

 Smith, he says : — " The bachelors' barrack is a Polynesian institution, 

 known in New Zealand as the "Wharee Matoro," which was the 

 sleeping place of the young men, and often of the young women too. 

 Wltaree means " house " and Matoro is the advance made by women 

 towards the other sex (often used vice versa also). These " wharee " 

 were also the places where the village guests were entertained. Sexual 

 intercourse between the young and unmarried was quite unconstrained 

 in former times." 



Turning north to Formosa we find that Mr. Gr. Taylor, in the 

 Proceedings, II. G. S. for 1889, page 2.3 1, says that in the aboriginal 

 villages there are one or more buildings called " Palong Kaus," which 

 are huge houses built to accomodate the youths from the time they 

 attain puberty until married. Their food is prepared by the parents 

 and taken to the " Palong Ivan," the lads are never allowed to reside in 

 the paternal home. All public matters are discussed in the " Palong 

 Kans" and it is of the nature of a caravanserai, as any visitor may enter, 

 hang up his belongings and begin cooking at the public fire. 



By day the building is watched by the youths in tarn. On the 

 receipt of any intelligence necessitating a meeting of the villagers, the 

 watchers attach to their waists the iron bells which always hang at 

 the door, and run through the village, regulating their speed by the 

 importance of the matter to be discussed. 



Dr. Warbung again at page 743 refers to the Formosan skull 

 hunts, blood money, and " club houses for young men." 



In Borneo again Ave find a large number of savage races, many of 

 them notorious head-hunters, and who in physique and customs are 

 almost identical with our Indo-Mongols of the hills round, and south 

 of Assam. Not only among Dyaks and Nagas do we see, jhum culti- 

 vation, building on piles, houses 200 and 300 feet long, head-hunting, 

 blackening the teeth, aversion to milk, and barracks for the unmarried 

 youths; but singular details absolutely identical such as the bamboo 

 pegged to a tree stem for a ladder, getting fire by see-sawing a long 

 strip of dry cane under a dry branch held down by the foot, &c. 



According to Sir Henry Yule: — " In Borneo as well as among the 



