Page:Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje - The Achehnese - tr. Arthur Warren Swete O'Sullivan (1906).djvu/437

 rally established in different gampōngs, and the man divides his time between them, not indeed according to the strict rules of the Mohammedan law in respect of the ḳasm, but as suits his own liking. But he also spends much of his time with his own family, or travels about visiting friends or on business etc. There are also the pepper-planters, seamen, fishermen etc., who often remain absent from their wives' homes for years at a time.

The attitude of the married couple in the matter of their childrens' bringing up is shown most characteristically by the adats observed when one of the two happens to die.

If the father dies, such of the children as have reached a discriminating age (say 7 to 10 years) usually remain with the mother, or if the latter marries again they are free to choose whether they will take up their abode with her or with the family of their deceased father.

Where there are children below this age, the adat requires the male relations (wali) of the deceased to interest themselves pro forma in their destiny. They must, however, before taking the first step, perform the task, so important in native estimation, of setting up tombstones (pula batèë) on the grave of their deceased relative; otherwise they have no right to interfere. When this duty has been fulfilled, they depute the keuchiʾ of the gampōng to go to the widow and demand the young children at her hands. The mother always replies that she admits that they have a right to the children, but earnestly begs that she may not be separated from them till her death. The keuchiʾ is then again deputed to enquire whether the mother can assure befitting support for the fatherless infants. A woman of means exhibits on such occasions a sum of money, or some article of value, or a house (where the child is a girl), with the assurance that these things are destined to defray the cost of bringing up the children. Others give tokens of good intent in proportion to their means, and the walis rest content with these assurances. Apart from the question as to whether this formal demand is or is not a rudiment of an older in-