314 AFRICA SPEAKS 



to be a fine young man with strong features, a pleasant 

 manner, and broad smile. 



Gelasega was the name of this subchief who ruled 

 over the Medaere, a sub tribe whose territory extended 

 from Ngal to Nebbi. He was the son of Sultan Amula, 

 the paramount ruler of the Alulu, who holds his court 

 at Okaro. We served him with tea, and then, as he 

 spoke Swahili fluently, I was able to get first-hand 

 information about tliis strange and httle-knowTi people. 



The country of the Alulu covers that large area ex- 

 tending from the west bank of the River Nile into the 

 high hills near OkoUo, and I was assured that liis 

 people were very old, that they had lived in this coun- 

 try since the early time of man. What a history must 

 be theirs! — a history, however, lost in the dust of ages, 

 for try as he would, this young sultan could tell no 

 tale of the past that rang true, so I found it necessary 

 to confine myself to the present. 



The marriage customs of different African tribes are 

 always interesting, each tribe having some pecuHar 

 practice of its own. Among the Alulu, as among many 

 other tribes, the woman is considered a valuable piece 

 of property, a thing to be bargained over, to be sold 

 and traded, to be used as a beast of burden, having no 

 rights and few privileges. 



Girls are married off by their fathers at from twelve 

 to fourteen years of age, the girl having nothing to say 

 in the matter. The father sells where he can get the 

 best price. If he can sell to a rich man he may get as 

 many as six oxen for her, while if he fmds it necessary 

 to sell to a poor man, the best he can expect is two 

 oxen for the same girl. Cattle is the money of the 

 country, the standard on which all value is based. 



