. The pagan tribes of Borneo; a description of their physical, moral and intellectual condition, with some discussion of their ethnic relations. ness demandsthat in any case he shall be supplied by the womenwith lighted cigarettes. If the girl wishes him tostay, she gives him a cigarette tied in a peculiarmanner, namely by winding the strip which confinesits sheath of dried banana leaf close to the narrowmouth-piece ; whereas on all other occasions thisstrip is wound about the middle of the young man thus encouraged will repeat hisvisits. If his suit makes progress, he may hopeth
. The pagan tribes of Borneo; a description of their physical, moral and intellectual condition, with some discussion of their ethnic relations. ness demandsthat in any case he shall be supplied by the womenwith lighted cigarettes. If the girl wishes him tostay, she gives him a cigarette tied in a peculiarmanner, namely by winding the strip which confinesits sheath of dried banana leaf close to the narrowmouth-piece ; whereas on all other occasions thisstrip is wound about the middle of the young man thus encouraged will repeat hisvisits. If his suit makes progress, he may hopethat the fair one will draw out with a pair of brasstweezers the hairs of his eyebrows and lashes, whilehe reclines on his back with his head in her these hairs are very few, the girl will remark thatsome one else has been pulling them out, animputation which he repudiates. Or he complainsof a headache, and she administers scalp-massage bywinding tufts of hair about her knuckles and sharplytugging them. When the courtship has advancedto this stage, the girl may attract her suitor to theroom by playing on the Jews harp, with which she. ? :-%^^&^,^ m THE SOCIAL SYSTEM 75 claims to be able to speak to him—presumably thelanguage of the heart. The youth thus encouragedmay presume to remain beside his sweetheart tillearly morning, or to return to her side when theold people have retired. When the affair hasreached this stage, it becomes necessary to securethe public recognition which constitutes the relationa formal betrothal. The man charges some elderlyfriend of either sex, in many cases his father ormother, to inform the chief of his desire. Thelatter expresses a surprise which is not alwaysgenuine; and, if the match is a suitable one, hecontents himself with giving a little friendly if he is aware of any objections to the matchhe will point them out, and though he will seldomforbid it in direct terms, he will know how to causethe marriage to be postponed. If the
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectethnolo, bookyear1912
