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PROCEEDINGS OE SECTION E. 
Long Hair . — In their heathen state the men, as well as the 
women, wore their hair long, aud, unlike the Fijians, failed to keep 
it trimmed. It was a long tangled mass reaching nearly to their 
waist, and dyed with lime and the bark of a tree, which they call 
fav. This made their hair red. The women dyed their hair with 
cocoanut oil and the bark of far , which made their hair black. The 
single girls had a little of their front hair cut short, and also a little 
of the hair on each side over the ears. These three spots were 
coloured with white lime. The rest of their hair was black. Single 
girls were easily known by this badge. At the present time they have 
ceased to dye their hair. The men all cut their hair short, and nearly 
all the women do the same. 
C hanging Children . — -The Botumans have the unnatural custom 
of giving away their children to their relatives and friends. This is 
not the exception, but the rule. There are very few homes in Botuma 
where brothers and sisters are brought up together. They are 
generally scattered, living in different homes. The parents instead 
of bringing up their own children bring up the children of some of 
their friends. This destroys the natural love that should exist 
between brothers and sisters, parents and children. When asked why 
they give their own children away and take the children of their 
neighbours instead, they answer, “It is the custom of Botuma to 
do so, and shows that we love our neighbours and our neighbours’ 
children.” The one who adopts a child would be called by the 
child its makiga , while the person who adopts would call her 
adopted child her mapiga. The children go occasionally to see their 
parents, and will belong to their parents’ tribe and inherit their 
parents’ land. They are only given to be reared among neighbours 
and friends. 
Circumcision . — Circumcision is practised among the Botumans, as 
among the Fijians and some other islanders of the Pacific. The rite 
is performed when the boys are from twelve to sixteen years of age. 
They have a feast in connection with the ceremony, and but little 
privacy is observed. 
Births . — The women suffer very little in parturition. A wide 
difference exists between the customs of the Botuman and Fijian 
women at this time. A Botuman woman when she knows that she is 
pregnant ceases work and continues to rest until the child is born. 
As soon as it is born, she gets up and goes for a bath in the sea, and 
returning to her house eats freely, and almost immediately begins to 
visit her friends and resume her household duties. The Tongan 
women have similar customs; but the Fijian women, on the other hand, 
work right up to the day of their confinement, after which they are 
forbidden the free use of animal food and fish for some days. They 
always remain resting in their house for a month or more. When 
baby is born a series of feasts follow which keep the husband busy, 
but the great feast is prepared on the anniversary of his birthday. 
On that day he is weaned and given to a friend to rear up. He is 
given away just as he is beginning to understand somewhat his 
mother’s love. The mother generally sheds tears at parting with her 
child, but submits to the custom of the land. 
