SOCIETY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN. 117 



nations, even pagans. The omission of them is regarded as a social 

 offence and the penalty is ostracism. During the period of seclusion 

 which follows the girls receive systematic instruction in such subjects 

 as medical botany, domestic economy, dancing and deportment. The 

 five daily prayers, the fast of Ramadan and the feast of Bairam 

 are all faithfully observed. Polygamy is recognised, subject to the 

 Koranic limitation of a maximum of four wives. As Hausa senti- 

 ment requires that every marriageable woman should be married, 

 there was not, prior to the introduction of European influence, any 

 " sisterhood of shame ". This apparently necessary concomitant of 

 European civilisation has hitherto been heavily taxed by the native 

 rulers of the Hausa States. Public prayers are said in Arabic, which 

 is to Islam what Latin is to the Roman Church. The problem of 

 labour was solved by domestic slavery, a system little understood in 

 this country, but which was not at all the same thing as the oversea 

 slavery. 



11. EDUCATION AND LITERATURE. 



Besides the historical manuscripts enumerated in a previous 

 paragraph, the only Hausa literature surviving the destruction of the 

 Fulani consists of religious and warlike songs. 



Native schools exist throughout the country, where the children 

 are taught to read and write. At Katsena there used to be a univer- 

 sity similar to the other universities of the Sudan, of which that of 

 Sankore was the most celebrated. These universities were generally 

 domiciled in some extensive mosque, and may be regarded as off- 

 shoots of the mosques, much in the same way as Durham University 

 is an off-shoot of Durham Cathedral. The instruction imparted was 

 based on the Koran, and embraced grammar and literature, philo- 

 sophy, logic, elocution, history, biography, ethnography, and philo- 

 logy. References to surgery point to the Sudanese not having been 

 unaware of the Arabian saying, " He who studies anatomy pleases 

 God ". It is on record that a certain distinguished person went to 

 Timbuctoo for an operation for cataract, wbich was entirely success- 



