AND INSTITUTIONS. 151 



yet there does not appear to be anything' approaching- 

 to chieftainship. There are a few elderly men^ 

 however^ in each tribe^ who^ having* acquired a 

 reputation for sag-acity and energy^ exercise a cer- 

 tain deg'ree of authority over the 3'oung'er members^ 

 and g-enerally manag'e important matters in their 

 OTVH way. Yet very few of these principal men are 

 of the hig'hest class, the mmijerojelle, — the middle is 

 termed manjerawide^ — and the lowest manhulgetj 

 but I could not succeed in making* out what privi- 

 leg*es^ if any^ are enjoyed by the superior classes. 

 The members of all tln*ee appeared to be upon a 

 perfect equality. 



Polyg-amy^ althoug-h one of their institutions^ is 

 Uttle practised^ as few men have more than one A^ ife 

 at a time. The betrothal of a female takes place in 

 infancv, and often even before birth. A few half-caste 

 children have been born^ but they do not appear 

 to tlmve^ althoug'h this does not imply any want o* 

 attention on the part of the mothers. 



These natives are fond of social enjoyment. Theii* 

 evening's are passed away round the fires^ with song's 

 g'enerally of a low^ plaintive^ and not unpleasing' 

 character^ time being* kept by beating' one bone or 

 stick upon another. They ha^ e besides what may 

 be called a musical instrument— the ihcro — a piece 

 of bamboo, three feet in leng'th^ which^ by bloA^ing* 

 into it^ is made to produce an interrupted^ drumming', 

 monotonous noise. In their dances I observed 

 nothing- peculiar. 



