BANTU NEGROES 



717 



respect at any rate, have 

 greatly gained by the 

 institution of a European 

 control over the admini- 

 stration of their country ; 

 for every time a chief 

 died in Busoga, blood- 

 shed of a more or less 

 serious kind was sure 

 to take place, and the 

 crops not infrequently 

 suffered from the ab- 

 stention of the peasants 

 from all work during the 

 period of mourning. 



A curious custom still 

 remains in connection 

 with the death of a man 

 who dies at some dis- 

 tance from his home, and 

 whose body cannot there- 

 fore be transported back 

 to be buried in his own 

 house. The relatives of 

 the deceased will march 

 for two or three hours 

 into the bush, and come 

 away with a branch or a 

 long reed. The straight 

 branch or reed stem is 

 then thrown on the 

 ground, and one of the 

 relations calls out 

 the dead man's name and 



says: "We have come to bring you home for burial.'' After this the 

 reed or stick is covered up with bark-cloth, and the relations march hack 

 to the dead man's home carrying with them this substitute for burial. 

 As they get near the village one of their number runs on ahead to 

 apprise the neighbours that the dead man's body is being brought to 

 his hist home. The women then start wailing for the dead, and continue 

 screaming and shouting until the long stick wrapped up in a bundle of 

 bark-cloth is deposited in the grave. The rest of the ceremony is identical 



TALL, PEAKED FETISH HUTS " ; ALSO "SUSPENDED GRASS 

 EXTINGUISHERS" OVER STONES FOR LIBATIONS 



