_Children._--All children are very desirable in Dayak eyes. Mr. Chalmers thinks that if a Dayak could have but one child, he would prefer a female, as she will always assist in getting wood and water (labours held in little esteem by those males who have arrived at the age of puberty); and, moreover, at marriage a son may have to follow his wife, whereas a daughter obtains for her parents the benefit of her husband’s labour and assistance; but my opinion is contrary, I think male children are generally desired. _Female Chastity._--With regard to female chastity, I imagine they are better, certainly not worse, than the Malays. The “Orang Kayas” have many cases of adultery to settle, which do not, however, cause much excitement in the tribe. _Divorces_ are very common, one can scarcely meet with a middle-aged Dayak who has not had two, and often three or more wives. I have heard of a girl of seventeen or eighteen years who had already had three husbands. Repudiation, which is generally done by the man or woman running away to the house of a near relation, takes place for the slightest cause--personal dislike or disappointments, a sudden quarrel, bad dreams, discontent with their partners’ powers of labour or their industry, or in fact, any excuse which will help to give force to the expression, “I do not want to live with him or her any longer.” A woman has deserted her husband when laid up with a bad foot, and consequently unable to work, and returned to him when recovered, but this is perhaps to obtain her food on easier terms. A lad once forced his mother to divorce her husband, the lad’s stepfather, because the latter tried to get too much work out of his stepson, and let his own children by a former marriage remain idle. The stepson did not understand why he should contribute to the support of his half-brothers, so he told his mother she must leave her husband, or he would leave her, and live with his late father’s relatives. She preferred her son’s society to her husband’s.