MOTHERRIGHT 283 



djimbu to the father or maternal uncle of the bride. I n 

 this case the children belong to the father ; but " parents 

 have little authority over their children, who leave 

 them at a very early age." " A man's property is 

 inherited by the eldest son of his eldest sister, or in 

 default by his eldest brother." The mother's brother is 

 the guardian of his sister's children. Here, as we 

 have already seen reason to think, fatherright is 

 beginning to make inroads on the original organisa- 

 tion. This is confirmed by the further statement that 

 4< kinship is reckoned very far on the female side," but 

 " in the male line not beyond the uncle and grand- 

 father," 1 indicating that some kinship is now 

 reckoned on the paternal side. The Bayaka, 

 neighbours of the Bambala, and like them a Bantu 

 people, dwell in small villages, often consisting of 

 not more than two or three huts, presided over by a 

 chief. " Each married woman has a separate hut 

 where she lives with her children, and the husband 

 moves from one to the other ; unmarried men live 

 together, several in a hut.'' " A child belongs to the 

 village of his maternal uncle." The inhabitants of a 

 village regard themselves as akin. It is added that 

 " relationship on the female side is considered closer 

 than that on the male side." 2 Among the Bangala of 

 the Cassange Valley the chieftainship is elective. This 

 is not unusual where female kinship prevails, for 

 primogeniture has not yet developed, and among a 

 band of equal brothers he who has proved himself the 

 most capable is often preferred. Our information 

 as to the Bangala is very defective. We are told: 

 " The chief is chosen from three families in rotation. 

 1 J. A. L xxxv. 410, 411. 2 Ibid, xxxvi. 43, 45. 



