SUCCESSION 227 



A custom met with in some tribes is the putting 

 out of all fires on the death of a Chief ; all new 

 fires have then to be lighted by friction ignition, 

 effected by rubbing and twirling one dry stick in a 

 hole made in another, easily inflammable tinder 

 or grass being held in readiness to start a fire from 

 the sparks which the friction produces. A few 

 years ago, in certain tribes a Chief could not 

 succeed another until he had actually eaten a 

 portion of his dead relative, or a slave killed for 

 the purpose. 



In most tribes, succession of chief ships passes 

 by the distaff side and to nephew or niece, as they 

 think it more certain that the sister of the King 

 is a daughter of the King's mother than that the 

 king's child is his own. But probably it is the 

 ancient custom of mother-right which rules in the 

 country, and not any frailty of the kimVT sex 

 which determines the procedure. 



