388 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1891. 



The sultans appear to have absohite power over the Hves and prop- 

 erty of their subjects, l:)ut there are many customs that control them. 

 They claim the ownership of all cattle within their dominions, a 

 monopoly of the i\'ory trade, and they call upon their subjects for 

 making war, for building houses, and for cultivating lands, etc. Before 

 any important measure, a council of chiefmen is held, except possibly 

 by Mandara or Cena, whose rule is cpiite absolute. Wlien people are 

 wanted for any purpose, heralds are sent out in all directions, proclaim- 

 ing that the sultan wants men to light, or bring timber, or whatever he 

 may need. Sometimes the herald blows upon a Kudu horn, and in 

 cases of a general alarm he beats upon a drum. This is a long narrow 

 aftair, 4 feet long, by 5 inclies wide, hollowed from the trunk of a tree. 



Wars are common, and undertaken to obtain either cattle or slaves. 

 These last are sold to the Suaheli traders, who are always waiting 

 around the courts of tliM principal chiefs. 



Honesty is not among the virtues of the Wa ( Uiaga, l)ut if the stranger 

 is a friend of the sultan he is not troubled l)y thieving. They evince 

 a great partiality for fowls belonging to other i)eople, and seldom lose 

 an opiiortunity of adding to their capital in this way. My neighbors, 

 Messrs. Morris and Steggall, of the Church Mission Station here, are 

 greatly annoyed by the nightly attempts upon their hen-houses, and 

 the frequent removal of clothing, etc., which may be hung out to dry. 

 My own reputation as a sorcerer prevented me from annoyance in this 

 respect, but my own Suaheli followers were not so restrained, getting 

 into my storehouse during my absence, and carrying off small quan- 

 tities of cloth, beads, etc., that they imagined would not be missed. 

 Eepeated warnings proving of no avail, a. spring gun was placed in the 

 storeroom and one of tlu^, guardians of my station got shot in tlie leg 

 while I was hunting. This proved an effectual warning and my repu- 

 tation as a magician greatly increased, every one regarding the shoot- 

 ing as done by witchcraft. 



The women greatly outnumber the men, probably in the proportion 

 of five to three; partly due to the loss of life in war. Polygamy exists, 

 every man has as many wives as he can get, so Ohaga is not afflicted 

 with old maids. The wives are purchased with sheep, goats, and cloth, 

 and more rarely for cows. There is a show of carrying off the bride by 

 force; the friends assemble, and festivities with singing, dancing, and 

 yelling take place, and this lasts two or three days or as long as the 

 pombe (beer) holds out. 



The bride is decked out with all the beads slie can borrow for the 

 occasion, in the shape of girdles, necklaces, etc., and she is plentifully 

 smeared with red ocher. 



When a woman is about to increase the size of the family, a noisy iron 

 rattle is worn upon her thigh. Morals are not of a high standard in 

 Qhaga and specific diseases have become very common, owing to the 



