EAST CENTRAL AFRICAN CUSTOMS. 691 



Young women are initiated into the mysteries,* as the cere- 

 monies are called, by rites and ceremonies nearly akin to inion- 

 ga?ie in the south, and are then taught, in actual fact and by 

 experience, much that would be regarded as immoral and not to 

 be named among "Western nations. The details of these ceremo- 

 nies I have not been able to obtain and verify with that degree of 

 accuracy that would justify publication, as it might tend to mis- 

 lead and confuse. One thing is certain, that in the case of both 

 young men and women separating into pairs with persons of the 

 opposite sex is deemed essential. If this were neglected in the 

 case of girls after the establishment of the menstrual function, 

 they would die. There is a second ceremony when a woman is 

 for the first time enceinte. Her friends gather and make prepara- 

 tions as for a marriage feast ; her head is shaved ; the matrons in 

 attendance sing songs and give the neophyte much advice, finish- 

 ing with a glorious revel at night. 



Taking the people as the traveler meets with them, the first 

 thing to be studied is village life and personal rights and liber- 

 ties. From that we may conveniently advance to the study of 

 tribal life and national institutions. "When a Yao or "Wanyasa 

 leaves his home to form a new village, he wishes to strengthen 

 his position by every means at his command. This he can do in 

 several different ways. Free men may be induced to join him 

 and form the nucleus of the proposed settlement ; he may pur- 

 chase slaves and many slave wives, or, if able, make a raid and 

 capture slaves to do the work necessary during the initial stages. 

 When the village is recognized by the chief, it becomes subject to 

 the general laws of the territory. There is the same council, pre- 

 sided over by the new headman ; the same intercourse between 

 the headman and chief by special " messengers " — that is to say, 

 confidential advisers; the same system of land distribution and 

 tenure, with the yearly tribute, as in older settlements. Petty 

 cases are tried by the headman, graver cases are reserved for the 

 hearing of the council. The head of a village may, under Afri- 

 can law, kill his slave, f but only a fool would do so, as he would 

 simply impoverish himself by the value of his chattel in the open 

 market. Besides, should a man kill a slave unjustly, he himself 

 would "wither away and lose his eyesight." Domestic slaves 

 have a quasi right to any property they may accumulate while 

 they remain with the master under whom they gather it, but if 

 sold the property remains the master's. Most Africans like to 

 see their slaves become rich. " Are they not/' say they, " our own 



* Wanyasa — south end Lake Nyassa ceremonies. Boys do not pass through them, but 

 Yao, Makua, and Angoni boys do. 

 f Yao, Anyasa, Awisa, etc. 



