Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-01-31
UNDER GENTLE RULE.
THE EDEN ON lNDlA'S CORAL
STRAND.

All Conditions Seem Changed-WO.
| man Takes the Lead-A HOspit.
| able People-Men DO the Hard
Work, but the Women Are Not
ldie-Strange Customs.
There is a little pin-head island off
the southern coast of India where wo'
man rules the roost and man knuckles
under. 1t is called Minicoy, and is
situated midway between the Maldive
and Laccadive Islands.
While travelling in India not long
since an English tourist came across
an official report of Minicoy, and his
attention was attracted by the follow
ing entry: Every woman in the
island is dressed in silk. The gowns
fit closely round the neck and reach
to the ankles. The upper classes
wear red silk and earrings of pecu-
liar fashion. The lower caste women
are restricted to the use OF dark striped
silk OF coarser quality. Every hus-
band must provide his wife with one
candy (560 pounds) of rice, two silk
gowns and two undercloths a year
He also presents her on marriage with
fine betel pouch drought from Galle)
and silver ornament containing re-
ceptacles for lime and tobacco, and in
struments of strange forms for clean.
ing the ears and teeth. The women
appear freely in public, and take the
lead in everything except navigation"
His curiosity being aroused by the
above, the tourist took the first oppor-
tunity of visiting this remarkable little
island. He found. indeed, a peculiar
yet most hospitable people. On going
ashore their party was met by a bevy
of girls bearing gifts OF fruit. They
wore striped silk gowns fitting closely
enough to the figure to fairly display
their wearers' charms. These had no
sooner departed than another bevy
approached, also bearing fruit. Aud
so deputation followed deputation
with their gifts, until it looked as
though the visitors would be positively
buried alive under the abundance OF
eggs and garden stuff. Finally, how.
ever, number ten ended the procession,
and thsn it came out that oaoh be~y
represented one OF the ten varangis"
or female sections ofthe island.
1t appears that the ladies are organ
lied separately from the men, whose
sections-only nine in number-are
termed "attiris." These divisions are
territorial.
"Imagine," says the tourist, ga
state of society in which the woman,
and not the man, is the recognized
head OF the household, and in doing
80 you will have taken an important
step towards clear apprehension OF
the relations between the sexes in
Minicoy. The houses belong to the
women, and everything in the house
belongs to them. The men work hard
as sailors, fishermen and tree-climbers
| and in picking cocoanuts, but what
ever they can earn goes into the fam.
lily stock, and increases the family sub
stance. The men even belong to the
women"
But most curious of all is their mar.
riage custom OF giving not the hus
bands name to his bride, but the
brides name to her husband. Thus
If Mr.. Brown weds Miss Jones, Miss
Jones does not become Mrs. Brown
but Mr.. Brown becomes Mr.. Jones
and go he passes into the Jones house.
hold, taking with him all his posses.
sions. In this way it rests with the
women to perpetuate the family name
and enlarge the family possessions.
Each varangi" has its head woman
and each "attiri" it's head man. These
officials convene their sections when
ever the public services require it.
Each section, moreover, has its own
meeting house. Visiting one of these
the tourist found party of silk-clad
women and girls engaged in spinning
coir into yarn. Getting into conver'
sation with the head woman, he
learned something about their daily
life. At $50 in the morning, she told
him, the varangi" women start fol
the coir beating grounds, which lie
back of the township. The lower class
of these women beat the coir husks
while the higher caste women super.
intend the work. Among the coir
soaking pits on this part Of the island
are several tanks Of clear water, and
here the women bathe before return
ing to their domestic duties. At
O'Clock, enough coir being beaten out
for the days work, the women return
home TO breakfast, after which they
proceed to the meeting house to spin
the fibre into yarn.
Meantime the men are engaged in
fishing. On the return of the boats
the women repair to the shore to Sc.
cure their household share OF the days
catch. Then, returning home, they
give the remainder of the day to their
household duties,
Each attiri has also its meeting.
house. Here the men congregate to
do the work of the community; the
carpenter, the boat builder, the barber,