266 THE WITCH-DOCTOR. 



catch or kidnap people here ; it is not our custom ; it is considered 

 a guilt among all the tribes." 



As the party left Monina's village, a witch-doctor, who had 

 been sent for, arrived, and all Monina's wives went forth into 

 the fields that morning fasting. There they would be compelled 

 to drink an infusion of a plant named "goho," which is used 

 as an ordeal. This ceremony is called " muavi," and is per- 

 formed in this way : When a man suspects that any of his wives 

 has bewitched him, he sends for the witch-doctor, and all the 

 wives go forth into the field, and remain fasting till that person 

 has made an infusion of the plant. They all drink it, each 

 one holding up her hand to heaven in attestation of her inno- 

 cence. Those who vomit it are considered innocent, while those 

 whom it purges are pronounced guilty, and put to death by 

 burning. The innocent return to their homes, and slaughter a 

 cock as a thank-offering to their guardian spirits. The practice 

 of ordeal is common among all the negro nations north of the 

 Zambesi. This summary procedure excited Dr. Livingstone's 

 surprise, for his intercourse with the natives here had led him 

 to believe that the women were held in so much estimation that 

 the men would not dare to get rid of them thus. But the ex- 

 planation he received was this : The slightest imputation makes 

 them eagerly desire the test ; they are conscious of being inno- 

 cent, and have the fullest faith in the muavi detecting the guilty 

 alone; hence they go willingly, and even eagerly, to drink it. 



The women are honored with peculiar deference by the tribes 

 in this section ; they are appealed to by their husbands to decide 

 important and trivial questions; for example, at the town of 

 Nyakoba, there was a guide appointed to attend Livingstone ; 

 he bargained that his services should be rewarded with a hoe ; 

 the hoe was delivered to him in advance, and he went with de- 

 light to show it to his wife, but when he returned informed the 

 Doctor that his wife would not allow him to go. " Well," said 

 Livingstone, " bring back the hoe." " But I want it. " " Then 

 go with us." " But my wife won't let me." And when Living- 

 stone said to his men, "Did you ever hear such a fdbl?" they 

 replied, "Oh, that is the custom in these parts; the wives rule." 

 It may be comforting to some of the humbler lords of creation 

 to reflect on this incident, and it may encourage the strong- 



