ity. The men
tend the cattle, hunt, go to war; they also spend much time sitting in
council over the conduct of affairs."[146]

[146] Macdonald, "East Central African Customs," _Journal
Anthropological Institute_, Feb. 1890, p. 342.

I may note the interesting account of Prof. Haddon[147] of the work of
the Western Tribes of the Torres Straits--

[147] _Journal Anthropological Institute_, Feb. 1890, p. 342.

"The men fished, fought, built houses, did a little
gardening, made fish-lines, fish-hooks, spears, and other
implements, constructed dance-masks and head-dresses, and
all the paraphernalia for the various ceremonies and dances.
They performed all the rites and dances, and in addition did
a good deal of strutting up and down, loafing and 'yarning.'
The women cooked and prepared the food, did most of the
gardening, collected shell-fish, and speared fish on the
reefs, made petticoats, baskets and mats."

Similar examples might be almost indefinitely multiplied. Among the
Andamanese, while the men go into the jungle to hunt pigs, the women
fetch drinking water and firewood, catch shell-fish, make fishing nets
and baskets, spin thread, and cook the food ready for the return of
the men.[148] The Moki women of America have fifty ways of preparing
corn for food. They make all the preparations necessary for these
varied dishes, involving the arts of the stonecutter, the carrier, the
mason, the miller and the cook.[149] In New Caledonia "girls work in
the plantations, boys learn to fight."[150]

[148] Owen, _Transactions of the Ethnological Society_, New
Series, Vol. II, p. 36.

[149] Mason, _Woman's Share in Primitive Culture_, p. 143.

[150] Turner, _Nineteen Years in Polynesia_, p. 424.

We should, however, fall into a popular error concerning the division
of labour in savagery, if we consider that all women's work is
regarded as degrading to men and all men's work is tabooed to women.
The duties of war and the chase are the chief occupation of men, yet
in all parts of the world women have fought at need, and sometimes
habitually, both to assist their men and also against them. Thus
Buckley, who lived for many years among the Australian tribes, relates
that when the tribe he lived with was attacked by a hostile party, the
men "raised a war-cry; on hearing this the women threw off their rugs
and, each armed with a short club, flew to the as