INHABITING TUB MALAYAiV PENrNSULA. fi7 



of thai praclice; wlucli proves ihal, if the 

 story is true, it must be referred to a lew 

 tribes only. No marriage is lawful witfioul 

 the consent of lljt? father. Conjugal faith- 

 fulness is mucli respected amongst thti Ja- 

 kuns; so that adull^ry is punislmhlc l)y 

 death. It is peculiarly remarkable t[iat the? 

 Jakuus, though surrounded by Malioinme- 

 dans and liealhens, who all are so much 

 addicted to polyfjaniy, have yet kee}) mar- 

 nage lu the purity and unity of its first in- 

 stitution; it is not allowed to thcni to keep 

 more thaji one wife; I met only one who 

 had two, and lie was censured and de- 

 spised by the whole tribe. I was much sur- 

 prised to lind such a custom amongst these 

 wild tribes; a custom wlncli can scarcely be 



found to exist in anv but christian nations; 



•J 



but nevertheless with this dillerence, that 

 amongst them a man can divorce bis wife 

 and take anothei*. The form of divorcinfr 

 is Ihaf : if ilio divorf** h proposed b\ ifie 



