PEIMITIVE AGKICULTUEAL EACES 177 



they are suckling their children, which frequently lasts for three 

 years.^ In Loango the suckling period is the prohibited period.^ 



17. Among the races hitherto surveyed there is no evidence of 

 the existence of any practice that renders sexual intercourse 

 fruitless. There are numerous instances of magical practices that 

 are supposed to have this result, but we have no reason to think 

 that any of them are effective. In Africa we again meet with 

 similar magical practices, and we must similarly account them to 

 be without effect. In this area, however, we also meet with 

 for the first time practices of quite a different nature. Many races 

 in different parts of the Continent are acquainted with means of 

 preventing fertilization. It is not necessary to describe how this 

 end is achieved.^ Any one who is interested in the subject can 

 turn to Junod's account. The methods employed in other parts 

 of Africa are apparently similar to those there described. Know- 

 ledge of these methods extends throughout South Africa,^ the 

 Congo,^ what was formerly German East Africa,^ and probably 

 elsewhere. Generally speaking this practice is employed under 

 two different circumstances ; measures may be taken to prevent 

 conception by those who are not married and who do not wish 

 to be married for some time ; they may also be used by married 

 people under certain circumstances, as for example by parents 

 in the Thonga tribe who may have intercourse when the child 

 begins to crawl, but who must avoid conception until the child 

 is weaned.'^ Again, young married couples in the neighbourhood 

 of Port Herald live in a special house so long as they are unable 

 to build a house for themselves, and during this time no children 

 must be conceived.^ 



18. Almost without exception the average number of children 

 is everywhere recorded as small. Mungo Park, referring apparently 

 to the Mandingoes, says that ' few women have more than five 

 or six children '.^ In Northern Nigeria, four to five is given as 

 the maximum number.^^ Talbct collected some statistics for the 

 Ekoi people ; the average number born to sixty-one married 

 women was 4-3.^i ' The marriages ', says Burton of the Egbas, 

 ' are not very prolific '.^^ Assinien women very exceptionally 



> Kidd, Essential Kaffir, \t. 19. ^ Pechxiel-Loesche, Loarufo-Expedition, p. 31. 



3 Jimod, South African Tribe, vol. i, p. 488. * Junod, ibid. See Macdonald, 



J. A. I., vol. xix, p. 117. ^ Cureau, loc. cit., p. 189. * Fiilleborn, loc. 



cit., p. 552, note. ' Junod, loc. cit., p. 55. * FuUebom, loc. cit., p. 550. 



9 Mungo Park, loc. cit., p. 403. " Tremearne, J. A. I., vol. xlii, p. 174. 



11 Talbot, Shadow o the Bush, p. 12. i^ Burton, Aheokuta, vol. i, p. 207. 



2498 g{ 



