204 NOTES ON THE MONBUTTU. 



substituted brother of the deceased so ingratiated himself with 

 the people that he remained in possession after the majority 

 of the real heir, who only received his honours at the death 

 of the regent. It also sometimes happens that, should there 

 be several brothers of nearly the same age, the popular voice 

 decides that not the eldest but the cleverest and most respected 

 of them shall ascend the throne, and this is arranged without 

 war or the shedding of blood. The rejected candidates retire 

 quietly into private life, and as a - matter of fact the relations 

 of chiefs differ in no way from the rest of the people. The 

 sub-chiefs were originally appointed by the ruler, but as they 

 are not dismissed from their posts unless well-founded com- 

 plaints are made against them, and are even allowed to remain 

 in office on the accession of a new ruler, who thus gains their 

 support, they virtually constitute an hereditary nobility. At 

 the same time, the right of the ruler to appoint his sub- chiefs 

 and to dismiss them is fully admitted. Individuals who greatly 

 distinguish themselves, or render special services, even should 

 they belong to the servile class, are rewarded by grants of 

 land in sparsely peopled districts or on the borders. There 

 the new chief is at once afforded an opportunity of proving his 

 capacity by attracting people, by founding a village, cultivating 

 the land, and conquering and pacifying the frontier districts. 



The laws of succession in Monbuttu have, however, been 

 completely upset by the interference of the Danagla, by whom 

 so-called " Dragomans " were raised to be chiefs in place of 

 the legitimate rulers, and put in possession. Thus, the 

 larger part of Munza's old district is to-day in the hands of 

 Gambari, the son of a smith, who, again, appointed his brothers 

 to be sub-chiefs, although the legitimate rulers, Munza's sons 

 and nephews, are still alive. Quite recently the official entrusted 

 with the government of Monbuttu has not hesitated to appoint 

 Wando's son, Mbittima, to the post of the exiled Mambanga, 

 as chief of the Mabisanga, although this Mbittima is a Zande, 

 and not a Monbuttu. It is easy to conceive that such arbitrary 

 proceedings have produced great confusion in connexion with 

 the territorial titles, and that pretexts for disputes are constantly 

 cropping up. I therefore at once set to work to find out all 

 I could as to the legitimacy of the present rulers, and as the 



