200 PRIMITIVE PATERNITY 



another part of the country or to Dar-Fur. In the 

 course of his travels he marries, if possible, several 

 more wives. The grass-widows he leaves behind him 

 swarrn in all the villages, making themselves as com- 

 fortable as they can, and indemnifying themselves for 

 their husbands' neglect by receiving especially strangers 

 and travellers with open arms. 1 In the Kingdom of 

 Merine between Bondu and Wulli when a married man 

 went on a journey his nearest neighbour took posses- 

 sion of his wife and supplied her husband's place until 

 the latter returned. This custom was mutually observed 

 and every one submitted to it. 2 



More than one traveller testifies to the excessive 

 freedom of the Monbuttu women. "It is not con- 

 sidered improper," says Emin Pasha, "for a grown-up 

 girl, though a prince's daughter, to visit her lover at 

 nights, even should he be a servant. Should lovers 

 wish to marry, the girl's father is informed of the fact, 

 and he makes a feeble attempt to obtain payment for 

 the bride. If the young man is rich, the price settled 

 upon is immediately paid ; if he is poor, the claim is 

 not pressed. As a rule the women appear to have 

 considerable freedom in their amatory proceedings, 

 but open prostitution is rarely seen. It is possible, 

 however, that in the interior of the country, at a 

 distance from the stations, other customs may be in 

 vogue." 3 Schweinfurth's experience twelve or fifteen 

 years earlier indicates that this conjecture is hardly in 



1 Frobenius, 100. No further away from the civilisation, such 

 as it was, of his day than Assuan, Benjamin of Tudela accuses the 

 inhabitants of going naked and indulging in absolute promiscuity. 

 These were not Negroes (Early Trav. 117). 



2 Post, Afr. Jur. i. 472, citing Rubault, 



3 Emm Pasha, 



