This Summary Procedure Excited My Surprise,
For My Intercourse With The Natives Here Had Led Me To Believe
That The Women Were Held In So Much Estimation That The Men Would Not Dare
To Get Rid Of Them Thus.
But the explanation I received was this.
The slightest imputation makes them eagerly desire the test;
they are conscious of being innocent, and have the fullest faith in the muavi
detecting the guilty alone; hence they go willingly, and even eagerly,
to drink it.
When in Angola, a half-caste was pointed out to me
who is one of the most successful merchants in that country;
and the mother of this gentleman, who was perfectly free,
went, of her own accord, all the way from Ambaca to Cassange,
to be killed by the ordeal, her rich son making no objection.
The same custom prevails among the Barotse, Bashubia, and Batoka,
but with slight variations. The Barotse, for instance,
pour the medicine down the throat of a cock or of a dog,
and judge of the innocence or guilt of the person accused according to
the vomiting or purging of the animal. I happened to mention to my own men
the water-test for witches formerly in use in Scotland:
the supposed witch, being bound hand and foot, was thrown into a pond;
if she floated, she was considered guilty, taken out, and burned;
but if she sank and was drowned, she was pronounced innocent.
The wisdom of my ancestors excited as much wonder in their minds
as their custom did in mine.
The person whom Nyakoba appointed to be our guide, having informed us
of the decision, came and bargained that his services should be rewarded
with a hoe. I had no objection to give it, and showed him the article;
he was delighted with it, and went off to show it to his wife.
He soon afterward returned, and said that, though he was perfectly
willing to go, his wife would not let him. I said, "Then bring back the hoe;"
but he replied, "I want it." "Well, go with us, and you shall have it."
"But my wife won't let me." I remarked to my men, "Did you ever hear
such a fool?" They answered, "Oh, that is the custom of these parts;
the wives are the masters." And Sekwebu informed me that he had gone
to this man's house, and heard him saying to his wife, "Do you think
that I would ever leave you?" then, turning to Sekwebu, he asked,
"Do you think I would leave this pretty woman? Is she not pretty?"
Sekwebu had been making inquiries among the people, and had found
that the women indeed possessed a great deal of influence.
We questioned the guide whom we finally got from Nyakoba,
an intelligent 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 induce him to do it if she refused. The Portuguese praised
the appearance of the Banyai, and they certainly are a fine race.
We got on better with Nyakoba than we expected. He has been so much
affected by the sesenda that he is quite decrepit, and requires to be fed.
I at once showed his messenger that we had nothing whatever to give.
Nyakoba was offended with him for not believing me, and he immediately sent
a basket of maize and another of corn, saying that he believed my statement,
and would send men with me to Tete who would not lead me to any other village.
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