92 A SPORTING TRIP THROUGH ABYSSINIA chap, ix 



these unions are equally legitimate, and bear the father's 

 name and share his goods. However, should a man 

 have children by a concubine, and then marry for life, 

 it is usual for the bride's father to stipulate that the man 

 shall set aside a certain sum for the concubine's children, 

 and that the latter shall have no share in the remainder, 

 nor in the money which the bride brings into the 

 common fund. Daughters can have no share in their 

 father's land, but share equally with the sons in his 

 personal property. In the case of a man possessing 

 only land, the sons have to provide for the daughters. 

 Although a man can legally have only one wife or 

 concubine at a time, this rule is broken by officers on 

 active service at the front, who maintain a concubine 

 privately, but do not enter into any agreement before 

 witnesses. Of this the wife is supposed to know nothing. 

 A child is its mother's property till three years old, when 

 the father has complete control over it. In the case of 

 a divorce, or of a concubine's agreement having lapsed, 

 the father is responsible for the mother's maintenance 

 until a child is eighteen months old. From that age 

 until the child is three years old the father has to pay 

 for the child's food. 



