Page:The sexual life of savages in north-western Melanesia.djvu/143

Rh not sleep with men, nor make katuyausi (licentious escapades), nor sleep in the bukumatula (bachelors' house). She must sleep in her mother's house only." Shortly after this, three gifts of food are offered by the girl's family to the boy's father. They are similar in nature to the three initial gifts in ordinary marriage, and are designated by the same names: katuvila, pepe'i, and kaykaboma.

The natives regard vaypokala (infant betrothal) as equivalent to actual marriage. The betrothed are spoken of as husband and wife, and thus address each other. As in adult wedding, the three gifts are considered to conclude the marriage and the infant bridegroom's family have to repay the last present by a return gift of food — mapula kaykaboma. At the next harvest, the girl's father brings a vilakuria (substantial contribution of yam food) to the boy's parents. This latter fact is interesting, since it is a reversal, on account of the anticipated marriage, of what happens in the previous' generation. The boy's father, who is the brother of the girl's mother, has to give a harvest gift year by year to the girl's parents; and this at the time of his sister's marriage he had inaugurated by a gift of vilakuria. Now he receives on behalf of his infant son a vilakuria gift from his sister's husband, who acts as the representative of his own son or sons, that is the brother or brothers of the future bride, who later on will annually bring substantial harvest offerings to the household, when it becomes such. As yet, however, the yearly urigubu (harvest gifts) do not follow the first Rh