ii8 PRIMITIVE PATERNITY 



of Senegal. But pagan tribes still exist whose 

 manners have the ordinary Negro characteristics. 

 The Mancagnes, for instance, permit antenuptial 

 licence ; and the birth of a child, especially a girl, in 

 consequence is received by the mother's parents with 

 sacrifices of joy and feasting similar to those consequent 

 on the delivery of a married woman. A bride-price is 

 paid for a wife, nor is there any regard for her personal 

 wishes. She ought in theory to be faithful after 

 marriage to her husband, or her family may be called 

 upon to repay her bride-price and she herself may be 

 subjected to corporal punishment. But in reality she is 

 the butt of attentions on the part of all the young men, 

 who from the age of fifteen stop short of nothing to 

 obtain her at every opportunity. 1 It is customary 

 among several of the West African tribes for the wife 

 to have a recognised lover. Among the Bullams 

 Bagoes and Timmaneys female chastity is only 

 valued to the time of marriage. It would be thought 

 extremely impolite and ill-bred for a married woman 

 to reject a lover's overtures. True, " she is liable to 

 severe punishment if discovered, yet it does not at all 

 affect her reputation," unless she have previously made 

 a vow to her husband riot to go astray for a certain 

 period. " Almost every married woman has, according 

 to the country custom, her yanget earned, or cicisbeo, 

 whom she first solicits. This connection she is at 

 little or no pains to conceal ; and her husband is often 

 obliged to be silent, as otherwise he would have reason 

 to dread worse consequences. For although the laws 

 of the country are severe against adultery, it requires 

 the arm of power, even among themselves, to put them 

 1 Leprince, L'Anthropologie t xvi. 59, 62. 



