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Thames Star, Volume XVII, Issue 5169, 11 August 1885, Page 2

The following facts apropos to the women in New Guinea may not, perhaps, be generally known:—A wife ia looked upon as a valuable possession. She is always purchased, and a much higher priqe is paid for a wife than for anything else. The women are proud of the price paid for them by their lords and masters. Betrothals often take place very early, and in^ infancy something is paid as " deposit money," and as soon as the girl is able to fetch water she carries it for her future husband. Divorce is very simple: the husband has only to tell his wife to go home to her mother and she is off. If she marries again, the whole payment has to bo returned again to the former bus. band, who can then go again into the matrimonial market. After the birth of a child, divorce is very rare. One young masher chief recently dismissed bis five wives in one week, and before another week had elapsed he had ten candidates for the vacancy.