ABSTRACT
I N the morning Gilemegak brought two bits of orangered rock from Elik, and a peculiar black and white
banded species of cray-fish called Tumal (Palinurus). About two o'clock in the afternoon we embarked on Lewis' China-rigged sailing-boat-two men, two boys, one Marianne man, Lewis and self. Fatumak we picked up at N giri. T ae occasion of our visit to the colony was the marriage of Lewis' employer F., of the German firm at Rul, to a Marianne girl. Now this calls for some little explanation. Traders in Yap seem to find a life of single blessedness tedious, and as white women in these parts are about as rare as snowflakes in summer, it follows that an alliance more or less permanent must follow with the daughters of the soil. But Yap ladies are very, very dark, and by no means remarkable as a rule for personal charms, so it is only rarely that one of these is chosen. Moreover, the Yap papas, with more wisdom than one would have expected from them, entertain a decided objection to a white son-in-law. They use a proverb - Roro fan 1"01"0, wetsewets fan wetsewets, rongadu fan rongadu. "Black to black, white to white, red to red." All the rest is balebalean or folly. Now note a beautiful provision of Nature. In the Marianne or Ladrone Group some 450 miles up north, the fe.nale native population considerably exceeds the male. There are in consequence many marriageable young girls of the Chamorro or aboriginal race of the group-a handsome debonnair Malayan people of lightbrown complexion who do not share the prejudices of
the Yap folk against the white man. These Marianne ladies are supposed to make excellent housewives, and in consequence are much sought after by the traders of Yap. But remark here the absence of those irregular alliances so frequent in the Pelew Islands and the Eastern Carolines. The Catholic priests set themselves most strongly against such practices, insisting on an ecclesiastical marriage of the contracting parties. This marriage, moreover, they will not solemnise without first making strict inquiry into the antecedents of the parties, and before the husband, whether Jew or Protestant, becomes formally reconciled to the Catholic Church. I fear, however, that many hollow conversions follow in consequence. I certainly don't think the worthy F. had any very deep convictions.
