REMBAU HISTORY, ETC. 79 
even as late as A. D. 1898, Mr. Hale wrote’ that “ there are 
only three men in Rembau with more than one wife.” 
Although there are many more to-day, and though the fee 
due to the Undang” on contracting a double marriage is not 
always exacted, yet polygamy is discredited in Rembau, and is 
practised chiefly by police, whose conduct may charitably be 
supposed to be influenced rather by frequent change of abode, 
than by strength of religious conviction. 
A marriage or liaison with a woman of the same tribe as 
the wife, during her coverture,—an offence against both 
exogamic and monogamic rule,—was punishable with death. 
This crime is known to customary law as the sugar-palm with 
two ladders,’ and is classed, together with the possession of a 
familiar spirit, (pélés¢t) as a tabooed act. (pantang). 
The Rembau method of arranging a marriage presents few 
features differing from the usual Malay practice: but the 
following account may be given as a concise statement of the 
desiderata of a good match, and the sequence of events 
culminating in formal betrothal and marriage.” 
“Now these are the (preliminary) arrangements with 
regard to engagements for marriage. As the saying runs, 
alive we are, in the grzp of custom, dead in the grzp of 
the ground: fortune soars away, misfortune swoops sud- 
den. Take a particular instance; you want to marry 
into a certain tribe, and your fancy lights on so and so. 
Wait a day or two, a month, or a year; see if everything 
is as you would wish it. 
intended wife’s relations, and how they bring up their 
children. Say there are both boys and girls—the boys 
learning the Koran, the girls learning to keep house. In 
time the boys have finished their course, the girls are ac- 
complished housewives. When the boy is of age a match 
is suggested, and talked over: for the girl proposals are 
(1) vide J. R. A..S., (Str. Branch), vol. 31. p. 45. 
(2) One bhara (=14.00). 
(3) Enau sabatang dua sigal. 
(4) Original MSS., given at length in appendix VII. 
R A. Soc., No. 56, 190, 
What do you mean ? Well, your 
Breach of 
marriage rules 
by incestuous 
second marri- 
age. 
ienmehaile 
with death. 
The conven- 
tional marri- 
age, 
Preliminaries 
to formal be- 
trothal. 
