han mortal race; and presumably their parents
would be conceived of as still alive. But they are not so much as
alluded to--a sure sign that there was no paternal authority to which
these ladies would be accountable. Indeed, if accountable at all, they
are so to the whole circle of their relatives, or to their tribe in
general. It is their brothers who assist them in time of need. Tawhaki
becomes the slave of his brothers-in-law. To her "people" Hine announces
her husband's arrival: she simply announces it; nor does it appear that
any consent on their part is required. Tini-rau takes his place at once
as a tribesman, and is expected to contribute by his labour and skill to
the sustenance of the whole brotherhood.

One of the consequences of reckoning descent only through females, which
may be noticed here, is that the children belong to the mother and the
mother's family. A trace of this lingers about the story of Tawhaki in
the affront to Tango-tango caused by her husband's offensive remark upon
their little one. In a society where the offspring are the father's, or
even where, as in modern civilized life, they are treated as belonging
to both parents and partaking of the nature of both, no such offence
could be taken. Another consequence is that in the organization of
society the wife still continues after marriage to reside with, and to
be part of, the community to which she belongs by birth. The man leaves
his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife. Hence it would be
natural for her to return home to her own kindred, and for him to seek
her and dwell with her there. This is illustrated not only in the Maori
legends just cited, but also in the Arawak story given in the last
chapter, where the husband is received into the vulture race until he
desires to visit his mother. He is then discarded as if he had
committed some unpardonable breach of custom; and he cannot be restored
to his former privileges. Although the Greeks had before the dawn of
history ceased to practise mother-right, a trace of it lingers in a
modern folk-tale from Epirus. There a man had by the ordinary device
obtained an elf as a wife; and she bore him a child. After this her own
kinsmen came and begged her to return to them; but she refused on the
ground that she had a husband and child. "Then bring them with you,"
they replied. Accordingly, she took her husband and child, and went back
with them to dwell among the elves. It seems, however, t