. Women of all nations, a record of their characteristics, habits, manners, customs and influence; . of rank and importance in a certain vil-lage marries a girl of some other village, itis impossible for him to Uve always with THE SUNDA ISLANDS AND CELEBES 1G7 her, for this would entail the. neglect ofthe duties and business which demand hisattention in the home of hisPolygamy ]^[^-^i^. j^ is contrary to lawand Divorce , , . r . 1 , , in Acheh. ^^^ ^^ ^^1^*^ ^^ leave her Mi- lage and live in her result of this state of affairs is, that aman with a wife in a distant village console
. Women of all nations, a record of their characteristics, habits, manners, customs and influence; . of rank and importance in a certain vil-lage marries a girl of some other village, itis impossible for him to Uve always with THE SUNDA ISLANDS AND CELEBES 1G7 her, for this would entail the. neglect ofthe duties and business which demand hisattention in the home of hisPolygamy ]^[^-^i^. j^ is contrary to lawand Divorce , , . r . 1 , , in Acheh. ^^^ ^^ ^^1^*^ ^^ leave her Mi- lage and live in her result of this state of affairs is, that aman with a wife in a distant village consoleshimself for his frequent and enforced ab-sences with one or more wi\-es nearer home. Divorce is a simple j^rocess. If a coupledesires to separate, the man takes threepieces of betel-nut, and hands them one byone to his wife, saying, One divorce, twodi\orces, three divorces, thou art to mebut as a sister in this world and the of the divorce is then given to thehead-man of the village, and the matter isat an end. The betel-nut is so intimatelyassociated with divorce, that a woman in a. BATTAK WOMAN (SUMATRA).The houses are built on piles. This woman is sealed on the front door steps. i68 WOMEN OF ALL NATIONS passion with her husband will exclaim, Give me then the three pieces of betel-nut. Amongst the Battaks, whilst exogamy isinsisted on, marriage by capture is theimiversal custom, and a manBattak ^^.jj^ steal his wife by night Marriage by • i u ? n Capture. from some neighbourmg village, and carry her off to his ownhome, leaving behind him a small sum ofmoney as a compensation for the the whole operation is purelyceremonial, and the parents of the girl arewell aware when her abduction is planned,and when it takes place. Polygamy is the rule rather than theexception, and a man may have as manyas six wi\es, who all live in one large room ;to each is allotted a separate cookingplace and cooking utensils, and it is theirduty to prepare in turn the meal
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