15G EXPEDITION TO THE 



present. The feasting then commences, and is continued un- 

 til all the provisions are eaten up ; if there be more pre- 

 pared than the guests can eat, other invitations are sent 

 out, for none can leave the feast until all is consumed. The 

 manager becomes a second parent to the child, who is held 

 to be under great obligations to him. Tiie duty never de- 

 volves upon women. 



A feast to which still greater importance is attached is 

 that which is given by a parent on the occasion of the 

 first animal killed by his child. This ceremony is allud- 

 ed to by Harmon,* but he does not mention that this ex- 

 tends, as we were told, to the very smallest animal, and is 

 not restricted to the first success in the chase. We are in- 

 formed that if an infant should kill a bird, mosquitoe, or 

 even a flea, this is hoarded with care by the parent ; it is 

 dried, and as soon as he has killed game enough to give a 

 feast, he invites his friends to share in the repast, in which 

 his son's first trophy is included. The most distinguished 

 friend is, as usual, invited to preside, and it is his exclu- 

 sive privilege to eat the whole of the animal killed by the 

 child. The future success of the individual is considered 

 to depend upon the age at which this feast was given ; the 

 younger the child is, the greater the promise which he 

 gives of future distinction. 



The number of children, which a man has, varies much ; 

 the average is four ; they seldom have as many as seven, 

 unless they have many wives. The pride and honour 

 of parents depend upon the extent of their family. 

 This causes them to attach a high price to them. In 

 some cases this afiection is displayed in a barbarous and 

 unfeeling manner, as in an instance which Bruce wit- 



* Ut supra, p. 346. 



