ntelligent young man, who had much of
the Arab features, and found the statements confirmed. When a young man
takes a liking for a girl of another village, and the parents have no
objection to the match, he is obliged to come and live at their village.
He has to perform certain services for the mother-in-law, such as
keeping her well supplied with firewood; and when he comes into her
presence he is obliged to sit with his knees in a bent position, as
putting out his feet toward the old lady would give her great offense.
If he becomes tired of living in this state of vassalage, and wishes
to return to his own family, he is obliged to leave all his children
behind--they belong to the wife. This is only a more stringent
enforcement of the law from which emanates the practice which prevails
so very extensively in Africa, known to Europeans as "buying wives".
Such virtually it is, but it does not appear quite in that light to the
actors. So many head of cattle or goats are given to the parents of the
girl "to give her up", as it is termed, i.e., to forego all claim on
her offspring, and allow an entire transference of her and her seed into
another family. If nothing is given, the family from which she has come
can claim the children as part of itself: the payment is made to sever
this bond. In the case supposed, the young man has not been able to
advance any thing for that purpose; and, from the temptations placed
here before my men, I have no doubt that some prefer to have their
daughters married in that way, as it leads to the increase of their own
village. My men excited the admiration of the Bambiri, who took them for
a superior breed on account of their bravery in elephant-hunting, and
wished to get them as sons-in-law on the conditions named, but none
yielded to the temptation.

We were informed that there is a child belonging to a half-caste
Portuguese in one of these tribes, and the father had tried in vain to
get him from the mother's parents. We saw several things to confirm
the impression of the higher position which women hold here; and, being
anxious to discover if I were not mistaken, when we came among the
Portuguese I inquired of them, and was told that they had ascertained
the same thing; and that, if they wished a man to perform any service
for them, he would reply, "Well, I shall go and ask my wife." If she
consented, he would go, and perform his duty faithfully; but no amount
of coaxing or bribery would i