File:Women of all nations, a record of their characteristics, habits, manners, customs and influence; (1908) (14583739157).jpg

Identifier: womenofallnation01joyc (find matches)
Title: Women of all nations, a record of their characteristics, habits, manners, customs and influence;
Year: 1908 (1900s)
Authors: Joyce, Thomas Athol, 1878-1942 Thomas, Northcote Whitridge, 1868-
Subjects: Women
Publisher: London, New York (etc.) : Cassell and Company, limited
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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savee carry yam, he plentylaugh, which, being translated, means, What sort of a woman is this—what useis she, that she cannot carry yams ? The life of the women is one of hardwork. Pleasure of any kind is unknownto them. There is nothing for them toenjoy from the Pandanus plait cradle,slung over the mothers shoulder, to thegrave, which is only a hole scratched in to overflow her whole countenance andlift her far above things of commonearth. She seemed to feel ennobled andexalted by this wonderful thing that hadhappened. That she should have hadsomething given to her—she, a woman !—and tliat it should be this marvellouspiece of loveliness, this nameless thingof beauty ! Surely the skies were goingto fall ! She was all one ecstatic smileuntil she went away, evidently treadingon air and feeling six inches taller;and I was glad to know that her hus-band could not take the treasure awayfrom her, as anything that had beenworn by a woman might never afterwards ii6 WOMEN OF ALL NATIONS
Text Appearing After Image:
A GIRL OF THE Photograph by Kerry, Sydttey. SOLOMON ISLANDS. Castes inAmbrym. be allowed to disgrace the form of thesuperior sex. The most striking feature in connectionwith female sociology in Melanesia isfound in Arabr^Tn, where thewomen have organised them-selves into castes or grades ofrank like those of the men. The men aredivided into ten grades, starting from thecommon folk, who are of no rank at all.By influence, and payment of a certainnumber of pigs, admission to the organisa-tion is obtained, and a man gains the statusof Berang, the lowest step in the socialladder. B3 increasing influence and suc-cessive payments a man may slowly climbthe hill of ambition until he reaches thetopmost throne of the Mai. The womens organisation is on the same plan, but it contains only eightdivisions of rank. It is signifi-cant that the topmost grade ofthe womens social ladder is thatof Berang-vir, which is the lowestrung of that of the men. So thatthe best that can be said of themost influent

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