The record-union., 1895-01-05
are largely preponderant, outnumbering
no r1a los Inv fi,lly


at the apex. Three Shrin blasts is the
fire signal, and, judging from the single
one given us as Il sample, the man must
be exceedingly deaf or very far from
town whose ears failed to catch the sound
The relations OF the sexes in Minicoy
are peculiar, to say the least In the first
place they are homogeneous, which for
people OF their religion is strange, to be-
gin with. Then the woman Is at the
head OF the house, and not the man; in
deed, that individual counts for very lit
tie. The house belongs to the W oman
and all that is in it. Practically the men
belong to the women, and so satisfactory
proves the result OF the arrangement that
he is quite content in his secondary posi-
ton. The product of his labor goes into
the family stock and increases the family
substance.
But our most startling discovery was
That when man marries, instead of Civ
Ing his name to his wife, as with US, he
takes her name and drops his own en-
urely. Thus, If Benjamin Smith mar
rles Angelina Brown, he becomes Benia-
min Brown, or, II we may unseX him for
a moment for illustration, Mrs. Angelina
brown, and all his property passes into
the Brown family. SO that a tamily's
hopes for the perpetuation of their
name and fortunes are centered in the
daughters, not in the sons, and the dowry
business is also quite reversed. Here is
hint for women's Fighters which, if
they can carry out, will emancipate them
at single blow.
1he great marrying month Of the Miu-
lcoyltes Is May, shortly after tue return
OF the fleet with their candies OF rice,
their silks and their silver ornaments,
which they bring from Bengal and other
trading ports, as presents for wives already
made, or wedding gifts for brides to be.
In 1892 there were titty-three marriages
on the island, thirty seven Of which took
place III the golden month of May. No
marriage is performed without the girl's s
consent. To make sure that this is vol
untary, the kazi (priesU sends two mu-
kris (seXtons) to obtain the true senti-
ments OF the girl, 50 that she shall not be
forced into hateful alliance.
The MinicOvite women having firm
hand on the domestic strings, use every
effort to keep the family together. This
they believe to be the foundation-stone of
true economy. You may see grand
mothers, mothers and daughters with
their three generations and male counter
parts all living peacefully together under
the same roof and eating from the COM
mon dish.
Should the members of the Brown
household grow rather too numerous for
their quarters, the males of the Brown
family are set to work to put up a new
house near by, in which the eldest daugh-
ter, say the married Angelina, is duly
Installed, and the new branch becomes
distinguished from the old by being
called the Brown-Smiths.
Although mlle long, the township is
not very broad, extending not over 300
yards inland at its broadest. 1t is very
compact. we'll laid out and scrupulously
neat, the divisions into varangis and
attlris doubtless inducing fine rivalry
as to Which shall be the greatest credit to
the town.
The Minicoy houses are fairly Iarpe
stone and mortar thatched buildings, and
connected with them are well-cultiyated
gardens. The whole premises is inclosed
within dry stone wall or else a fence
made OF plated cocoanut palm leaves.
All around the houses are deep, shady
Verandas, from the rafters of which hang
the swinging cots, in which the inmates
sleep. Thick cotton mosquito netting
gives all the privacy the inmates desire,
and also prevents them from being de-
Voured IN their slumbers by bloodthirsty
mosquitoes, which for size and 1erocitv
beat anything ever saw, not excepting
their brethren in New Jersey.
The wealth of a family is indicated by
the carvings of the pillars of their veran-
das, and by certain brackets and corniczs
on the walls.
IN the garden and suspended from dry
tree branches, one end OF which had been
thrust into the ground, we noticed num-
Der OF peculiar vessels formed of cocoa
nut shells. Those contained the family
supply, OF palm juice toddy, an unfer-
mented sweet liquor, from which thew
prepare sugar and some very excellent
SWeetmeats.
Ihelr gardens produce sweet potatoes.
yams III several varieties, betel vines and
Indian corn. These with the fruits of
the island, fsh and imported rice, COM
pose the principal articles of their diet.
In the afternoon we get a considerable
amount OF amusement in Watching a rat
hunt IN the cocoanut orchard behind the
town. 1t is nut-gathering time, and tile
Varangl ladies' will be along presently
with their baskets, but first the profess
slonal tree-cllmbers must get rid OF those
little creatures so terrifying to women the
world over.
This orchard is a veritable rats para
disc. Plenty to eat and drink and save
Tor the regular harvest attack of men. this
Eden OF rats is without a SERPENT. II
hasn't even rat snake. The critters live
In the tops OF the palms, in cozy corners
where the branches shoot out from the
trunk.
A dozen strong, sinewy tree-climbers
swarm up and begin to poke among the
branches with their short sticks. The
have taken headers to elude their pur
suers. But they are not to escaDe for
the company below are ready for tharo
and the slaughter begins. Thev are
caught in midair as you would catch a
baseball, and hurled with bone -breallinm
force upon the ground. If a catcher
should miss. the rats fate is no hattar
for an outer circle of men and boys await
him, and be is Drained with a stick. The
more sagaciouS of them leap into am,
other tree, and if it should be without a
climber they either escape altogether or
postpone their fate until that tree is
reached by their pursuers.
Is Alter the boys had collected the slain
and taken them away the varanpis an
pear. or at least detachment from each
of chem, and collect the nuts into the
baskets as they are thrown down by the
climber. For this service the women pet
four nuts each and four per cent. of all
they gather. The nuts are stripped of
their husks. which are worked up into
yarns, as before explained, and then thew
are stored until opportunity arrives To
send them to the mainland to be sold on
behalf of the Government revenue.
At the northern end OF the island
is collection of small huts wherein
dwell those afflicted with Ieprosv.
On the appearance of this disease the
sufferer IS at once sent to the leper COLONY.
~ NV ID DuiiG ioi AiAl, anu ue Is supplied
with food and drink by his relatives, who
leave 1t on the ground at a safe distance.
From an old inhabitant we learned the
tradition that in days gone bv
the island was SO harassed by robbers of
all sorts that the people finally placed
themselves under the protection of Mann
mali, the great corsair. In u certain part
of the island, he said, were to be seen the
caves in which the Inhabitants used to
hide from their tormentors.
Expecting to find something romantic.
we took our way thlther, but we soon dis
covered that our aged informant was