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.
