1892.] S. E. Peal — Communal Barracks of Primitive Races. 267 



in arguing against the "origin of marriage " by capture, he thought it 

 unlikely, because savages had " women of their own whom they could 

 marry." It is precisely because in a communal stage, all the females of 

 the tribe, or horde, were public property, that no male could isolate, 

 and appropriate one, as his own exclusively, that the right to a captive 

 female slave (as a wife) became feasible. She was private property. 



The distinct private right to captured weapons, utensils or slaves, 

 resulting from " joint action," is notorious among savages. Hence it 

 is singular to see MacLennan insisting that the public right to a 

 " beautiful captive," would stand as an argument against " marriage by 

 capture." When we examine the matter closely, in situ, we find that 

 invariably, the property captured in a joint raid, is never scrambled 

 for, but subject to laws or rules minutely regulating the private rights 

 of those engaged. Whether in fishing, hunting, or in raids for much 

 coveted heads, to secure the envied tatooing, there are strict rules as 

 to the rights in the spoils. I have known a case where the youngest lad 

 in a head-hunting party alone secured the head, and the honor of tatoo- 

 ing, out of a party of 63 young warriors. Without strict and recog- 

 nized rules in all such matters, there would be chronic social anarchy. 

 So that when closely examined MacLennan's argument will not hold 

 water. Whether an exhaustive study of these singular " communal 

 barracks " seen among so many distinct races under such various local 

 phases, will eventually shew us that they are the relics of a former 

 stage of communism, it is not easy to see, but there are certain per- 

 sistent features which appear to point in that direction, among others 

 the universal tabu against the married women. If " marriage " by 

 capture of female slaves, arose while society was in the stage of com- 

 munal hor-des, or clans, it is very easy to see that the successful 

 warriors would naturally object to their female captives (or wives as 

 we now call them) associating with the unmarried young men in their 

 communal quarters, and hence tabu them. It is what we might 

 naturally expect under the circumstances, and also that these warriors 

 would generally have the power as well as the inclination to enforce 

 such a social law. If there were no other females available for the rest 

 of the males, it might not have been so easy perhaps, but when we 

 recollect that in all these cases there was complete sexual liberty within 

 the horde itself, among its normal female members, the successful 

 isolation of the captive wives was probably feasible, and hence arose 

 both the " marriage " and " tabu " simultaneously. The almost univer- 

 sal power of these communal relics, over the children, a power which, 

 as a rule, dominates that of the parent, is another indication that 

 marriage and the family are of more recent development. Indeed the 



