BANTU NEGROES 747 



death, and death equally was meted out to young men and girls who 

 were found guilty of fornication. It was thought a shameful thing if a 

 girl was not found to he a virgin on her wedding day. 



Girls are often betrothed at the age of six or seven, and the 

 intending husband makes repeated small presents to his future father-in- 

 law. As soon as the girl reaches womanhood she is handed over to her 

 husband. When this is done, or before it is done, the husband pays 

 over the remainder of the purchase-money. He then appears with his 

 relations to claim his bride, and if there is no opposition on the part of 

 an avaricious father-in-law, the young woman accompanies him to the 

 house of one of her parents or one of his. Here, in the presence of a 

 large number of girls and women, he consummates the marriage. If the 

 girl shows herself to have been a virgin, he then takes her to his own 

 home; but if otherwise, she is returned to her parents with great 

 contumely, and these last are obliged to send to the bridegroom not only 

 all the cattle, goats, hoes, etc., which he has paid by instalments, but to 

 pay him in addition an amount equal to the whole of his purchase- 

 money, as an acknowledgment of the disgrace brought on them by the 

 misconduct of their daughter. 



There is a custom amongst the Kavirondo which would be very 

 distasteful to those in England who oppose marriage with a deceased 

 wife's sister. In this African Eden a man has the prescriptive right to be 

 offered the refusal one after the other of the younger sisters of his wife 

 or wives as they come to marriageable age ; and these girls cannot be 

 handed over to other applicants until their brother-in-law has declined 

 them. If a woman dies without having borne children, the amount of her 

 purchase is supposed to be returned by the father to the widower unless 

 he consents to replace her by another daughter. If a woman is ill-treated 

 by her husband, she can return to her father, who then repays a portion 

 of her marriage gift. If the woman is to blame, she is usually replaced by 

 one of her sisters. The price to be paid for a wife is generally considered 

 to be as follows : Forty hoes, twenty goats, and one cow, a present usually 

 given in instalments. More cows are paid if the girl is the daughter of 

 an important chief. If the bridegroom has not been previously married, 

 the girl is led to the house of the unmarried men of the village, and is 

 there handed over to her husband. If the man is already married, the 

 new wife is given in charge of the preceding wife or wives. If the father 

 shows any reluctance to hand over the betrothed girl, the suitor sends a 

 band of young men who capture her and bring her to his village. If this 

 act is attempted during the daytime, the young men of the girl's village 

 and her brothers turn out to tight the suitor's party witli sticks. The 

 girl screams a great deal and makes many loud protests, but usually 



