SOCIAX CUSTOMS. 
107 
and his wife^ wlio bad no more provisions at home than 
would last her for this period, requested assistance from a 
neighbour. Hence arose a mutual friendship, which, 
however, at first only showed itself in little attentions, the 
man drawing water, cutting wood, and providing fish for 
hia fair neighbour, who could not avoid feeUng grateful 
for the kindness ; and no one will he surprised at their 
friendship at length ripening into love, when, conscious 
of their guilt, they took flight to one of the neighbouring 
islands. The husband, who had been detained by con- 
ti-ary winds, returned at the end of two months, and 
demanded his wife of her brothers, who were therefore 
necessitated to go in search of her, when the guilty 
couple were soon discovered, and brought back to their 
\dllage. Tlie injured hnsband demanded an enormous 
fine from the seducer of his wife, %vhich the latter refused 
to pay, stating that during his entire life he shoukl 
not be able to collect a sufficient quantity of trepang to 
make up the sum. An appeal was thereupon made to 
the elders ; and on the woman being questioned, she 
frankly stated that the kindness of her neighbour in 
supplying her wants had called forth her gratitude, and 
this ripened into love ; she had made the first advances. 
The elders considered this mode of proceeding on the 
part of the wife rather strange ; but taking it into consi- 
deration that it was verj^ difficult for any one to withstand 
a declaration of love from a young woman, they lost 
sight of the severe laws respecting the conduct of men 
towards married women, and determined that the offender 
should only pay a small fine, and advised the husband 
never again to leave his wife at home w^ithout provisions. 
