SOCIETY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN. i i 



their Zulu conquerors descent is counted through the father, and it 

 is the oldest son who is the heir. 



Into the origin of the clan system it is not possible for me to 

 enter to-day. It is enough to say it is traced by some to the belief 

 in the descent of the clan from certain animals which gave their 

 names to the various clans. Thus the antelope clan ascribe their 

 origin to the antelope, and in consequence they abstain from eating 

 the flesh of the antelope. But many of the names of the clans 

 among the Yaos are not names of animals at all, nor does any system 

 of taboo from special meats or other articles of food seem to be due 

 to such a belief. If such a system existed, the Yao has lost it now, 

 and can himself give no account of the origin of his clan system of 

 relationship. Among the Mang'anja and Angoni there are several 

 names of animals among those of the clans, and the flesh of the 

 animal is abstained from by those who bear its name. 



Marriage is consummated among the Yaos in three ways: (1) by 

 inheritance of the wives of uncle or grand uncle ; (2) by purchase of a 

 slave woman who is afterwards promoted to the status of a wife, and 

 (3) by betrothal. The betrothal is always arranged by a third party 

 who thus becomes the " surety " for the good behaviour of the couple, 

 and to whom any complaint of ill-treatment or infidelity is made. 

 Separations are common and must be made through the " surety," 

 and any property given by one of the parties to the other is given 

 back. Among the Angoni the husband pays a sum to the father-in- 

 law previous to the marriage as a sort of compensation to him for the 

 loss of his daughter, but this custom has been derived from the Zulu 

 conquerors and is not original to any Central African tribe. 



At childbirth the mother retires to the bush with some woman 

 friend, and in two or three hours may be seen returning to the village 

 with the new-born baby strapped on her back. She retires to her hut 

 and remains for some days in complete seclusion save for the presence 

 of her women friends who have the case in hand. She remains there 

 till the remains of the umbilical cord drops off, and during this time 

 no man body dare approach the hut. The baby is weaned only when 



