ary to the
general practice, through the mother, and not through the father. The
rights of an unmarried queen were great. She was permitted to have a
family by whomsoever she wished, and her children were recognised as
legitimately royal through her. Among the Hovas not only wealth, but
political dignities, and even sacerdotal functions, were transmitted
to the nephew, in preference to the son.

In the adjacent continent of Africa we find similar privileges enjoyed
by royal women. A delightful example is given by Frazer[179] in
Central Africa, where a small state, near to the Chambezi river, is
governed by a queen, who belongs to the reigning family of Ubemba. She
bears the title _Mamfumer_, "Mother of Kings." The privileges attached
to this dignity are numerous; the husbands may be chosen at will and
from among the common people.

"The chosen man becomes prince consort, without sharing in the
government of affairs. He is bound to leave everything to follow
his royal and often little accommodating spouse. To show that in
these households the rights are inverted and that a man may be
changed into a woman, the queen takes the title of _Monsieur_
and the husband that of _Madame_." A visitor to this state,[180]
who had an interview with the queen, reports that, "she was a
woman of gigantic stature, wearing many amulets."

Battle reported that "Loango was ruled by four princes, the sons of a
former king's sister, since the sons of a king never succeed.[181]
Frazer gives an account of the tyrannical authority of the princesses
in this state.[182]

"The princesses are free to choose and divorce their husbands at
pleasure, and to cohabit at the same time with other men. The
husbands are nearly always plebeians. The lot of a prince
consort is not a happy one, for he is rather the slave and
prisoner than the mate of his imperious princess. In marrying
her he engages never more to look at a woman; when he goes out
he is preceded by guards whose duty it is to drive all females
from the road where he is to pass. If, in spite of these
precautions, he should by ill-luck cast his eyes on a woman, the
princess may have his head chopped off, and commonly exercised,
or used to exercise, the right. This sort of libertinism,
sustained by power, often carries the princesses to the greatest
excesses, and nothing is so much dreaded as their anger."

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