A Remarkable Example of Decline. 



the field remains with his family the better part 

 of the day, absenting himself as the evening 

 approaches." 



" Rendezvous between husband and wife .... 

 are arranged in the depths of the forest, unknown 

 to any but the two. After child-birth husband 

 and wife keep apart for three, and even four 

 years, so that no other baby may interfere with 

 the time considered necessary for suckling 

 children in order to make them healthy and 

 strong.* This in a great measure explains the 

 existence of polygamy. The relations of a 

 woman take it as a public insult if any child 

 should be born before the customary three or 

 four years have elapsed, and they consider them- 

 selves in duty bound to avenge it in an equally 

 public manner." 



One could scarcely conceive of a more exem- 

 plary little community, from its own moral 

 standpoint. The sexual idea was scarcely known 

 among the ordinary people. The rank and 

 file of the village folk knew that the matri- 

 monial state was beyond their scope, and they 

 did not trouble their heads about it ; another 

 reason for their not troubling about it was 

 that adultery was a capital crime. Dr. Seemann 

 tells us that Keraduadua clubbed one of his own 

 nephews for being unduly intimate with one of 

 his wives. Thakombau is said to have cut off 

 the nose of one of his sisters for this offence. 



* Similar customs are described by Winwood Reade in his 

 book, " Equatorial Africa." It is also to be noted that in 

 Ashanteeland the mother keeps apart from the husband until 

 the child is weaned. W. H. 



57 



