176 PKIMITIVE AGKICULTUEAL KACES 



Adio of the Upper Congo region form a curious exception ; soon 

 after birth intercourse again takes place ; if it did not, the child 

 would die, since the father would thereby show 'no affection for 

 the mother. 1 The Kuku only interrupt intercourse for three or 

 four months, 2 although suckling lasts three years, 3 and among 

 the Nandi prohibition only extends over a period of three months, 4 

 while lactation lasts two years. 5 Similarly ' among the Awa- 

 Wanga many believe that within five or six days of the birth of 

 a child the parents must cohabit or the child will die '. 6 



The last-mentioned cases are rare exceptions ; the customs 

 that we saw to be normal in the west of Africa are also normal 

 elsewhere in Africa. In Uganda ' a woman must live apart from 

 her husband for two years, at which time the children are weaned '. 7 

 A-Baganda woman * lived apart from her husband for three years 

 while nursing her child '. 8 When a woman in the region of the 

 Kovuma river ' bears a child she lives completely apart from 

 her husband till the child is able to speak, as otherwise it is 

 believed that harm, if not death, would come to the infant '. 9 

 A year is mentioned as the length of the prohibited period among 

 the Swaheli, 10 and the duration of lactation as the period among 

 the tribes of the Baringo district n and among the Wanjamuesi. 12 

 On the other hand the prohibited period is short among some of 

 the tribes of what was German East Africa ; it is two months in 

 Konde-land, 13 three months among the Wapagoro, 14 and ' a few 

 months ' among the Wagogo. 15 In British Central Africa the 

 wife does not resume sexual intercourse with her husband for 

 two years, unless she is the only wife, when six months to one 

 year is allowed to elapse. 16 In the Miri district the period is six 

 months, although suckling lasts for two years, 17 and the same is 

 recorded of the Atonga. 18 Speaking of Baronga, Junod says 

 that there is no cohabitation until the child is weaned, and 

 mentions that this is so among all the Bantu races of South 

 Africa. 19 Kidd confirms Junod's statement, and says that most 

 Kaffir women live in strict seclusion from their husbands while 



1 Hutereau, loc. cit., p. 46. 2 Plas, loc. cit., p. 203. 8 Ibid., p. 205. 



4 Hollis, Nandi, p. 66. 5 Ibid., p. 65. 6 Hobley, J. A. I., vol. xxxiii, 



p. 358. ' Wilson and Felkin, loc. cit., vol. i, p. 187. 8 Roscoe, Baganda, 



p. 55. Ratzel (History, vol. iii, p. 16) gives three years. Thomson, Geog. 



Journ., vol. iv, p. 73. 10 Velten, loc. cit., p. 73. " Dundas, J. A. I., 



vol. xl, p. 60. " Reichard, loc. cit., p. 257. 13 Fiilleborn, loc. cit., 



p. 352. " Fabry, loc. cit., p. 223. ls Cole, J.A.I., vol. xxxii, p. 312. 



16 Stannus, loc. cit., p. 311. " Felkin, loc. cit., p. 31. 18 Johnston, 



British Central Africa, p. 415. w Junod, Ba-Ronga, p. 490. 



