Chap. IX. DOMESTIC QUAEEEL. 197 



villagers, it was no easy matter to get rid of tliem. 

 The fathers-in-law praised the beauty and all the 

 good qualities of their daughters niai-ried to the chief, 

 hinted that he had got a cheap bargain in this one 

 and had not paid enough for the other ; and some 

 of them actually threatened to take away their 

 daughters unless something more was given. Poor 

 Mayolo, sick of the woiiy, had asked me for various 

 things to give them in order to get rid of them, but 

 they were insatiable. 



The row this morning was between Oshoumouna, 

 Mayolo's nephew, and his father-in-law, arising out 

 of these unsatii^fied demands for more pay. The old 

 man was very discontented, saying, that though he 

 had given him his daughter, he had not had a single 

 thing given him by the Oguizi. It was in vain 

 that Oshoumoui]a assured hiui that I never gave 

 presents for nothing. Whilst I was absent, the 

 father-in-law had ventured to use force to take away 

 his daughter. It is a very common thing in Africa 

 for a father-in-law to take away his daughter, if he 

 is not satisfied with the husband's conduct. Oshou- 

 mouna took no notice of the abduction, and tlie row 

 was caused by the father-in-law, enraged at this cool- 

 ness, proceeding to demolish his son-in-law's house. 

 A general melee ensued ; old Mayolo rushed out and 

 belaboured the airffressor with a club ; the women 

 screamed, and a fearful uproar took place. As usual, 

 the object was to see who could make the most noise, 

 and in this contest the father-in-law was no match 

 for the villagers. 



The discomfited father-in-law left the village, and 



