The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-20

NEW YORK, May 19.-"It IS con-
sidered most improper for native woman
in the South Sea Islands to expose h.r
ankles" said Miss Theo.ora Crosby. the
author OF with the South Sea Islardsrs."
who spent several years as missionary In
that field.
They are not particular about clothing
their bodies. indeed. seldom wear any COW
ering above the waist unless you dignity
string upon string of beads. buttons. and
shells as such; to show the ankles, how
ever. is most immodest. The children both
girls and boys, run about absolutely nude.
or at most with a fringe about their waists,
but when once a girl is put on the mar
riageable list her mat skirt must reach so
low that her ankles will not be exposed.
Marital engagements are made by par
ents or friends. generally on the side Of
the woman. but quite often by bob par
ties. AS among the EsQuimaux ard como
other people there Is no wedding cere-
mony. though the groom sometimes throws
piece Of kappa about the bride ard a nup-
tial feast is spread. Marriage tenure Is
very uncertain. depending SO far as have
learned. on the will OF the husband But
while such relation lasts. so far as
know. there is no such thing as infiellty
on either side.
1T is considered unforgivably improper
for a woman to go fishing with any man
other than her husband. She may go In
bathing with members OF the opposite sex
as often as she pleases. she may sleep in
the same room, but she must not go Ash
ing with them. I remember how we Of
the mission shocked II cir sense Of pro-
lob ,xtth hx
and thought nothing about 1t, but we re-
fused to go bathing with them We wore
short skirts and high-necked and long
sseeved waists. / am sure they thought
us as immodest as we thought them.
1.-The character and status Of the
women being an accurate indication Of the
degree Of civilization which a people have
attained would not put the South Sea
Islanders very high up in the scale. And
yet the descent of rank through the
female line gives the women a place of
Importance which it IS hard at first to
understand. realizing the inescapable
social degradation of the sex. As queen
or regent she may have almost unlimited
power, but she cannot eat even with the
humblest man. A woman must not eat of
the food prepared In the same oven as a
mans. nor Of many aviands superstitiousIy
reserved for the male sex. At birth she
is more unwelcomed than her brother.
and more liable to be thrust alive into
the grave. AS child she must eat no
food that has CHANGED to touch her
fathers dish. AS wife she Is subject to
her husbands will and is cast OF when
no longer pleasing. Curiously enough
however. the men cook the food. while on
many of the islands the women accompany
their husbands to battle.
Their religion. if it may Re called s-ci.
is spiritism. They have no idols. no tenn
pies. no priests. They do cbeisanee to GER
tain trees. rocks, or slabs OF coral. TITO
which they suppose spirits have entered.
These ghosts CT spirit stones are generally
from one to three feet high. Small s.onss
are laid around in a circle about two feet
from the larger stone. and inside CT this
the ground Is covered with waite psbtIes.
They are placed near and sometimes inside
the house. They have a special acct
which is used in speaking OF CT to their
rulers or chiefs and in their worship. So
different is this from the language used by
the common people that 1t is easy to a5cer-
tain who the chiefs are. even, among
strangers. They have peculiar little
custom Of wishing to change names. 1t Is
their greatest token OF friendship and con-
f1denee. But what would an American
woman do with South Sea Island woman's
name? Certainly not use 1t as her Own.