MARRIED AGAINST HIS WILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12066, 9 September 1902, Page 6

MARRIED AGAINST HIS WILL.

AN ISLAND ROMANCE. Ore. correspondent at the island of Ailutafci writes:—We Lad a minor sensation here a short time ago, which forcibly illustrated one of the old oppressive matrimonial customs of the island that has not yet died out. The unwilling connubial "victim - ' was a young man named Ware Strickland, a half-caste grandson of the late Geoffrey Strickland—an adventurous American beachcomber who roamed the South Seas in the early days, and finally settled on this island. Without, consulting Ware, his parents some time back arranged a, marriage between him and a. half-caste daughter of a trader at M.uiihiki. Now, Ware, though an exceedingly simple and quiet young man, did not tali in with this arrangement. He did not believe in being sacrificed on the matrimonial altar in this oft-hand fashion. He confided to his friends that he had fixed his young affections on Grace, a -Maori belle of this island, and did not want to marry the Manihiki girl, whom he had never seen. But his wishes weie not regarded by his parents, and ».s he did not offer any active opposition to their matrimonial venture on his behalf, preparations went on merrily for his departure by the schooner Tamarii Tahiti. The vessel stood out to sea ; the boat containing sister Marywho was to see her brother "put through' 7 —and the presents, after waiting some time, went off to the schooner, as the bridegroom-elect was nowhere to be found. Ware, it appears, was hiding in the bush with Tapairu, a Rarotongan belle to whom he. had become attached. Seeing that all the boatsas he thoughthad" left the shore, and were some distance out. he ventured close to the beach, where he was speedily pounced upon by those who were in search of him. His refusal to go. his protestations, resistance, and even his tears, were alike unheeded, and he was forced along the beach to where another boat was being got ready for him, and he was then taken off to the vessel, being soundlv rated for the trouble he had put them to to gee him aboard. A native policeman, Tikitaunga, was the chief actor in this coup-de-mam. A day or two after the resident magistrate held an inquiry into the matter, when the facts as above stated came out in evidence. The policeman, Tikitaunga. admitted without any reservation the part he had taken in compelling Ware to go, and preventing his escape. As such press-gang action was doubly unlawful in a policeman, the magistrate promptly suspended him. and appointed another man in his place: but the other actors in this ordinary affair got off .-cot- free, as in the absence of the victim no one appeared to prosecute on his behalf. But this high-handed action of parents towards their children is not considered very reprehensible br the natives here, for the simple reason 'that it is the custom of the people, as the> openly tell you, for parents to arrange the marriages of their children without- considering their feelings in the matter, family and land interests playing an important part in these unions.