TRAVELLING EXPERIENCES. 55 



him, and hence a quantity of useless loafers have 

 to be supported who do no definite work and 

 always require feeding, and their work when given 

 is half-hearted and bad. The chiefs are afraid to 

 get full value from any person, for, if he considers 

 himself ill-used, he will go and attach himself 

 to some other master. The moral effect is still 

 more serious, for without there being definite laws 

 on the subject, all women and children are com- 

 pletely at the disposal of the feudal superior in 

 practice, and the result can be easily understood. 



Along with this fundamental ownership of land 

 by the sovereign, there are many curious customs 

 which in part counteract its effect. The chief, 

 besides being landlord, is family solicitor, trustee, 

 judge, jury, and field marshal of his people. There 

 is even a kind of tenant-right, and unless there is 

 some reason against it, a man's son will probably 

 succeed to his father's shamba. All this shows, I 

 think, a very high level of general intelligence in 

 the people. 



This is due probably to the dominant race, 

 corresponding to the Normans in early England, 

 being of a type far superior to the average negro. 

 This race came from the. north, probably the 

 Soudan side of Abyssinia.* They are called in 

 most works Wahima or Wahuma, and are probably 

 seen in their least mixed condition in Karagwe, 



'■'- Certain authorities do not agree in my theory that the 

 Wahima hloocl is the cause of the Waganda superiority. 



