THE WAY THEY HAVE IN PAPUA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 311, 25 September 1908, Page 3

THE WAY THEY HAVE IN PAPUA.

The Bishop of New Guinea, speaking in London recently, gave a remarkablo account of Papuan marriage, where it is a " purely business arrangement, never regarded as a lifelong tie'':— If it".we're lifelong, the circumstance was not thought to be very creditable to tho husbhnd. There, was no word in the languago for an elderly spinster, but only for young girl, wife, and rejected"wifo. The wifo had to till her own garden, as well "as her husband's, and on the slightest pretext she could be rejected. But slip was not depreciated in the marriage market by that circumstance,, and speedily found another husband. Mission influence had considerable effect in reducing the number of these separations. The system was matriarchal, and a man was forbidden to marry any. relation on his mother's side, though on his father's sido there were no .restrictions. The mission not only recognised native marriages as valid, but encouraged tho observance of all native customs that were innocent. The effect was to impress theinipottanco of these, on the chief people of the villages. gamy was likely to die' out in Papua, and the coveted post of village policeman was not given to a polygamist. A second wife was sometimes taken as an assistant gardener, and no wonjan .thought it derogatory to be second'wifo to a great man. To say that only monogamists : need apply for the post of policeman strikes r 6ne as decidedly ingenious.