THE MODERN INHABITANTS. 129 



possession of property which the parents of both have been gradually 

 accumulating for their benefit. A would-be purchaser of a plantation 

 of young coconuts or perhaps of some lumber observed lying under 

 a house will probably meet with a refusal, the owner saying that he 

 has cleared and planted the cocal for little Juan or Maria, or that 

 he is accumulating a number of good posts so that Pedro may have a 

 house of his own when he marries. Old bachelors and unmarried 

 women are not common in Guam. Most families have several chil- 

 dren, differing in this respect from the Samoans, where there are 

 often only one or two, or where many of the women are barren. 

 But before the American occupation the laws of the island did not per- 

 mit divorce and remarriage, so that new alliances which might be 

 formed by those who had separated could not be legalized. In con- 

 sequence of this such unlegalized alliances have been held up as 

 examples of the shocking immorality of the island, whereas, in reality, 

 in most cases observed by the writer the}^ were to all intents and pur- 

 poses marriages in which the husband and wife were mutually faith- 

 ful and the children in all cases well cared for. At the time of the 

 American occupation prostitution was almost unknown on the island, 

 though there were many cases of couples living together without hav- 

 ing been married by the church or civil authorities. These alliances 

 were looked down upon by the more respectable element, but as a rule 

 illegitimacy was not considered a serious misfortune, and an unmarried 

 mother was treated with pitying kindness by her neighbors. 



Relations between parents and children. — The carefulness of 

 parents to provide for their children has already been referred to. 

 There are perhaps few countries in the world where greater attention 

 is paid to the establishing of a young couple in life, though of course in 

 Guam their wants are comparatively few on account of the simplicity 

 of their surroundings and their mode of living. One of the most 

 striking features to a stranger is the conscientious way in which ille- 

 gitimate children are provided for. While registrar of property on 

 the island, the writer was struck in many cases by the earnest desire 

 of fathers to secure legal titles for their illegitimate children to houses 

 and plantations especially prepared for them, and the records show 

 that some of the best estates on the island were the creation of unmar- 

 ried parents for their children. On their part sons and daughters 

 show the greatest respect and affection for their parents, recognizing 

 their authority as long as they live. It is not unusual for a man or 

 woman of 40 or 50 years to ask permission of his parents before engag- 

 ing in a business transaction, and the spectacle of old women, aban- 

 doned and forgotten by their children, acting as water carriers, etc., 

 so common in Samoa and among our Indian tribes, is unknown in 

 Guam. Parents are tenderty cared for in their old age, treated with 

 deference even when in their dotage, and depart this life accompanied 

 9773—05 9 



