196 PRIMITIVE PATERNITY 



wives are in the habit of lending a member of their 

 harem to a friend in cases where no children are born 

 as a fruit of the marriage. 1 The offspring if any 

 resulting from this are the property of the husband 

 and are looked upon as his children." 2 But sexual 

 relations unlicensed by the husband are regarded as 

 adultery. When a husband catches his wife in the 

 act at night but not in the daytime he may kill her 

 paramour on the spot. In the same way a thief enter- 

 ing a kraal at night may be killed. Or the adulterer 

 may be compelled to pay damages, or to take over the 

 woman and refund her bride-price to the husband. A 

 wife may be divorced for persistent adultery or for 

 refusing to work ; for a simple lapse of fidelity when 

 caught she is said to be flogged. 3 If a girl become 

 pregnant before marriage her condition " is no bar to 

 her marriage with another man, but rather a recom- 

 mendation, since he is sure of at least one child from 

 her." 4 



The people of Taveta, the rich and fertile plain at 

 the foot of snow-capped Kilimanjaro, are like the 

 Masai of mixed H ami tic and Bantu stock. They are 

 organised in clans and in " ages " somewhat resembling 

 the Masai institutions. A girl is usually bespoken as a 

 child and the arrangement for her marriage is made 

 with her father, but the formal betrothal is postponed. 

 After undergoing the puberty rites she passes her 



1 Sir A. Hardinge (Report on the East Africa Protectorate^ 

 Parliamentary Paper, Africa No. 7, 1897, 21) says that if a man 

 have any wives who for any reason have ceased to please him they 

 are "permitted to cohabit with his poorer relations, but only 

 within the family circle." 



2 H. R. Tate, /. A. L xxxiv. 137. 



3 Decle, 487. 4 Tate, loc. tit. 



