3yU JOLJKNEY TO THE COAST. Chap. XIX. 



amongst these tribes is carried out. Oshoumouna^ 

 the nephew and heir of Mayolo, had died of small- 

 pox since my departure from Mayolo for the interior, 

 leaving two wives — one young and good-looking, 

 the other old and ugly. These wives of Oshou- 

 mouna I knew very well, for I had given one of 

 them a coat for her husband on my former visit, 

 and had often bought plantains of the other. To 

 my surprise I found one of them now married to 

 Mayolo and looking quite joyous, dressed in her 

 best ; the other was married to Ikala, Oshoumouna's 

 younger brother. According to my notions of 

 African law, Ikala ought to have inherited all the 

 property of his deceased brother, including the pick 

 of the wives. I asked why this had not taken place, 

 and was told that it is the elder brother who inherits 

 the property of his younger brothers in the event of 

 their decease, and not vice versd. If Ikala had died 

 first, Oshoumouna would have taken his wives and 

 all the rest of his property, but, as the case stood, 

 Oshoumouna having no elder brother, his uncle 

 Mayolo had the right of dividing the property as he 

 thouglit fit ; but with the understanding that some 

 of the wives must be given to the younger brother. 

 My Commi men and se\-eral of the Otando people 

 criticised rather sharply old Mayolo's appropriation 

 of the pretty wife ; they thought he was greedy in 

 wanting all the best things for himself. 



I was much amused one evening at Mayolo, whilst 

 my men and a number of villagers were lying about 

 the fires near our encampment, by a story or parable 



