m TIMOM. 



457 



U) missiag some of the most characteristic and iiiterf^sting of 

 tlie laws anil custonis oi" a people, and how uiily by a hicky 

 chance or mischance in the most unexpected way he may light 

 on fundamental facts of their history. 



I was fortunate enough to gain also much information about 

 the curious connubial relations |>nnailiiig in this part of the 

 island, which recall the husband-clans and wife-clans existing 

 among some of the Austrsdiaii tribes. 



To the west of liibi^nfu lies the neighbouring kingdom of 

 Mauufahi, and to the south-west that of Alias. The men of 

 Manufuhi cannot purchase. wi\'es from BibiyufU, but the men 

 * of BibifUfu can obtain wives by barter from Mantifahi. Th© 

 women of Bibi9n5U c*m obtain husbands from Manufahi, if 

 these men come and live during the lifetime of their wiyes 

 in the kingdom of their wives. Ho fitrchase-mQuej may be 

 paid, and none may be accepted for them. The son of the 

 Eajah of Manufahi may marry the daughter of the Rajfih of 

 Bibigu^m, but he cannot on any condition obtain her hy pur- 

 chase, nor may she settle in Manufahi ; lie must remain in 

 Bibi^ttfu during her lifetime. 



Saluki imd Biiluuk are two districts of the kingdom of 

 Bibi^ufu. A man of Saluki may marry a woman of Bidauk, 

 and take her back with liim to Saluki ; but he must ptirchase 

 her, and it is not in his option to remain in Bidauk with his 

 wife's relatives instead of paying for her. On the other hand, 

 the men of Bithuik can nutrry with the women of Saluki ; hut 

 the man must go to Saluki and live in the house of the woman, 

 and he has not the option of paying for her at all The 

 children of the union belong t.t> her, and on her death inherit 

 all her property, while the husband returns to his own king- 

 dom, leaving the children behind him* except in the case of 

 their being more than two, when he is entitled to claim at 

 least one. This is pi-)ssibly the remnants of matriarchal 

 descent. These restncti<ma, however, do not hold with a 

 man of Saluki if, for instance, he select a wife from a king- 

 dom which is not related in this curious way to his own 

 kingdom ; also, as tar as I am able to learn, Manufahi men 

 may take wives from Alhis — or Alias men from Manufahi— 

 on jMiying the ordinary |)rtee demanded in these kingdoms for 

 a wife, without incurring any restriction as to residence. The 



