[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]

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as _ MALEKULA
and moving about the house. A man and his wife may only
talk a little and in a subdued voice if they are in the presence of
her parents ; the woman is less restrained than the man in this
respect, since she is their daughter, but even she must always
be more quiet than they, who for their part are expected to do
all the talking, and in a loud authoritative tone} The father-in-
law is described as being like " a big master Further,
a man or woman eating in the presence of aparent-in-law
must turn away his or her head, since it is indecorous for
the latter to see the mouth of a child-in-law while eating.
A special form of courteous address is employed by anyone
offering food to a parent~in-law ; the giver says gules
" look ", instead of the common gum “ eat ". In other ways,
too, a man shows deference to his wife's father. He avoids
touching any goods belonging to the latter. If a man allows a
stick, arrow, or other object, which he is holding, or which
belongs to him, to come into contact with anything belonging
to his father~in-law, as, for instance, his sleeping mat, he is ï¬Åned;
he may not even touch a stick on which his wife’s father is
carrying a bundle. _ ..
Another restriction on behaviour exists between a woman
and her son-in-law, and a man and his daughter-in-law. No
Woman may climb up anywhere in the presence of her husband's
father, nor may she even stand upon a box or stone in order to
reach anything if he is present. She would, however, show no
hesitation in doing any of these things before her moflaer-in-law.
A man is restricted in the same way in the presence of his wife's
mother, but is free to climb if only his father-in-law is by. The
REASON for the tabu on a man climbing in front of his wife’:
mother was said to be lest in doing so his penis wrapper should
slip down and he should thereby, inadvertently, expose himself
“indecentlyâ€ù before her. It is probably safe to assume that
the corresponding tabu on a woman climbing exists for the
same REASON. Joking indecently in the presence of the spouse's
parents is, of course, also an offence.
The penalty for committing any of these prohibited actions
‘ It is not quite certain from the notes whether this delerential behaviour
gs characteristic oi Seniang and Wilemp, or oi only one of these disti-icts.—
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