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additional burden by so doing, for they provide for themselves 

 and their children. When he has something, he divides it with 

 them, and in return receives his share of their maiia. Orphans 

 fare the worst, and usually the nearest relative looks after them, 

 but does not assume a parent's position. Such children receive 

 blows, and have to provide for themselves as best they can. 



The avenging of a murder is the duty of the nearest relatives 

 of the murdered person. But how do they know who committed 

 the deed ? This is an open secret, for all know the deplorable 

 customs, and consequently each other's enemies. The murdered 

 person and his relatives were perfectly aware whom he had 

 killed, and the nearest relatives of the latter were his avengers^ 

 whom they knew well also, and, therefore, the murderer, urana. 

 The practice of sorcery makes a slight difference, which will be 

 explained hereafter. If the relatives of a murdered murderer 

 considered that their father, brother, or son had deserved his 

 violent death, all would be well, but this they do not by any 

 means. They accordingly devise and plan how to inflict the 

 same upon the urani of their own relation, or upon his next of 

 kin, the aruninja. If it cannot be done at once — the brothers 

 or children being, perhaps, yet too young — it is done in the 

 course of time — being never forgotten. The most suitable op- 

 portunity is waited for ; the murderer and his next of kin, 

 perhaps, become careless, indifferent, or negligent ; one of them 

 lives, perhaps, alone for a time at a lonely place. If the avengers 

 become aware of this, they leave at night, surprise, and kill him, 

 for which purpose they paint the whole body a deep black. 

 These avengers know perfectly well what fate awaits them, and 

 that some day they will become its victims, and, therefore, there 

 is no end to the feud. To this must be added the murders 

 occasioned by their belief in sorcery. If the avengers — for 

 almost always there are several, at least two, because no one 

 ventures to go out alone upon a blood-hunt — succeed in obtaining 

 the assistance of a number of abettors, and feel sufficiently con- 

 fident of their overwhelming force, they attack their enemies by 

 daylight, and are then called tnenka, on account of the open in- 

 vasion ; but ti7'ana if the deed is done secretly. 



6. Government. 



The natives around the mission station have a kind of govern- 

 ment, being ruled by the aged men and medicine-men. It more 

 often fails than not just where it ought to act, as, for example, in 

 putting down the murders. On the contrary, these deeds are en- 

 couraged. This state of affairs arises from the fact that they 

 form no nation, nationality, tribe, or triblets. Properly one can 

 only speak of families among them, and these possess equal 



