Our Last "Safari" 



facility to do so, but a portion of her dowry goes to the husband 

 or to the heir, proportionately to the length of time spent 

 with her husband. 



In case a polygamous wife should leave her husband 

 to go and get married elsewhere, a portion of her dowry 

 would be handed back to her. 



A Few Customs of the Babali. 

 (i) Edemi. The Babali meet from time to time to discuss 

 together some new undertaking, as, for instance, the selection 

 of a new site whereon to rebuild their village, new planta- 

 tions to be cultivated, some elephant hunt, and so on. Every 

 man is entitled to express his opinion on the subject under 

 discussion, one of the elders having, in the last instance, 

 a casting vote on the resolution which must be carried out. 



(2) Ambembe. When a notable, or some woman par- 

 ticularly esteemed, fall seriously ill, the women and girls 

 of the village meet together in front of the hut of the sick, 

 and each of them goes in turn into the hut and leaves a drop 

 of her saliva on the face of the sick to wish him or her a 

 prompt recovery. This custom is called Ambembe. 



(3) Exchange of Wives. The Babali exchange their 

 wives. The dowry is always represented by another woman, 

 very often by a young girl of ten to fourteen years of age. 

 If both women so exchanged should bear children, their 

 marriage is confirmed, also if they have no children. But 

 if one of the wives so exchanged is fruitful and the other 

 sterile, the husband of this latter is entitled to indemnifica- 

 tion in the shape of another wife. Europeans are greatly 

 opposed to this exchange of wives, and still more so to the 

 surrender of young girls by way of dowry. 



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