THE KU COAST. 141 



the ground, so little difference was there in size. It is 

 astonishing how these infantile nurses take care of the 

 little — or littler — ones. Many a time have I been 

 much amused in watching a dozen or more of these 

 children playing together. The baby on its nurse's 

 back either sleeps, as if nothing was going on, or, 

 rousing up, watches the game in the most absurd way. 

 The approach of a stranger, particularly if he has a 

 dog with him, will, in out-of-the-way places, cause 

 quite a panic among the little nurses, who, picking up 

 their charges, if they had happened to place them on 

 the ground, scamper off as hard as they can go. The 

 average number of children to a family is about five, 

 but only two to three come to maturity. As might 

 be expected, the strong alone survive. I have come 

 upon villages where five out of eight had died of small- 

 pox, — this before vaccination was introduced. Women 

 after marrying bear children quickly, and nurse them 

 for years. In fact, I believe from what I have seen 

 that they remain capable of nursing without intermis- 

 sion until they leave off having children entirely. I 

 have seen two children so big that they fought over 

 the favourite breast of their mother. I have also seen 

 them standing on the ground, the mother likewise 

 standing and nursing them without having to stoop. 



