OSS BANTU NEGROES 



best he can to obtain the quantity of each article mentioned. If he 

 is a rich man, he will not take long, but in any case he must not 

 return for the bride before three days. This is the period universally 

 allowe 1 for making her ready — that is, shaving her hair and anointing 

 her all over with oil. After a lapse of an interval ranging from 

 thr^e days to a month and a half, the suitor returns with the shells 

 and other things, probably costing, all told, some 18s. to 20s. These 

 things are given to the father of the girl. At the same time, the 

 suitor must not have forgotten to bring a small calabash of beer for the 

 bride's sister. When these things are handed over, a party is formed at 

 the father's house and all proceed to the bridegroom's house, beating 

 drums and singing. The afternoon, evening, and night are spent in 

 dancing and drinking beer. In the morning the party separates, and the 

 ceremony is finished, the bride remaining with her husband. 



Marriage between first cousins is forbidden to the Baganda. The wife's 

 mother is under a serious ban in Uganda. She must not enter her 

 •daughter's house, and she must not speak to her son-in-law. Should they 

 meet accidentally on the path, she must turn aside and cover her head 

 with her clothes. If her wearing apparel is not sufficient to cover her 

 head, the exactions of etiquette may be met by sitting on the haunches 

 and covering the eyes and part of the face with the open hands. When 

 the son-in-law has passed, she may go on her way. She may pay a visit 

 to her daughter, but she cannot enter the house. She remains twenty 

 yards off; the daughter goes to her, and they sit and talk. If the son- 

 in-law is indoors, and not in view from outside, the mother-in-law may 

 shout " Otya " (that is. " How dost thou ? ") and the son-in-law may 

 answer her from inside the hut ; but it would be a gross breach of etiquette 

 either to cam 7 the conversation further, cr for the mother-in-law to look 

 in at the door, or her son-in-law to glance at her from within the hut. 



The marriage of a noble with another noble's daughter is modelled on 

 the peasant's routine. If a chief wishes to marry a "Mukopc" (or peasant) 

 girl, there is often a departure from routine, but foul play or violence in 

 such matters is now a thing of the past. 



Even the ' : Kabaka," or king, follows the routine in the matter of sending 

 native beer to the girl's father as the first step in contemplated matrimony; 

 but as a rule, in the past, the chiefs gave him their daughters willingly, 

 and if the daughters were given without any overtures on the part of the 

 Kabaka, then no beer was offered to the father of the girl. A peasant could 

 not offer his daughter directly to the Kabaka : she had to be passed to one 

 of the great chiefs, and thence she was taken to the royal household. 

 After a lapse of four or five years she might be allowed to return to her 

 father's house for a visit of from three to four months, and on such occasion, 



