BIRTH AND BURIAL. 209 



nothing, and a poor man desirous of entering the wedded state 

 need only apply to his chief in order to have his desire grati- 

 fied, without being called upon to make payment for his bride. 



Monbuttu women are celebrated for their fecundity, and 

 children are looked upon as a blessing. It is a remarkable 

 fact that far more female children are born than males. 

 Sterility is a disgrace, and sometimes results in the wife being 

 returned to her father. Usually, however, the husband prefers 

 to add to his wives, in the hope of obtaining children. The 

 Monbuttu profess to be in possession of roots which cure both 

 impotence and sterility. Cases of flagrant adultery are brought 

 under the notice of the chief, who confiscates the property of 

 the adulterer, and gives two-thirds of it to the woman's father 

 and one-third to the injured man. The reason for this un- 

 equal division is, that the father of the adultress has to provide 

 the injured husband with another wife, usually a sister of the 

 guilty woman, who generally remains in her father's house. 



Women in labour lie upon the side ; cases of difficult labour 

 or retention of the placenta are treated by the application of 

 counter-irritating plants to the abdomen. The birth of twins 

 is considered to be very fortunate, and is celebrated by a great 

 feast, to which all neighbours bring presents. The placenta is 

 placed in a jar and carried in a great procession to be buried 

 in the middle of a road ; after this is accomplished it is 

 customary for every one when leaving the spot to pluck two 

 leaves, and after spitting upon them, to throw one to the right 

 hand and the other to the left. Twins are distinguished by 

 special names ; if they are males, they are called dburi and 

 nabese, if females, dbuda and tindade, the first name being 

 given to the first-born, and the second to the last-born. 



When a man dies, the whole of his property goes to the 

 eldest son, who adds to his harem all his father's wives who 

 have children — except his own mother — but divides the child- 

 less wives among his brothers, with such portions from the 

 paternal property as he may think fit. At the few burials 

 which take place, very few ceremonies appear to be practised, 

 for body- snatching is the rule. The Majo, a tribe in the 

 Monbuttu country, appear to occupy quite an exceptional 

 position in this respect, for they are said to burn their dead 



o 



