CHAP. VI 



TRAVELS IN EASTERN AFRICA 



245 



country la}^ principally in the hands of the old men. 

 Their power is tempered, however, by the fact that 

 the influence of two other classes is brought to bear 

 upon their deliberations in counsel. These two classes 

 are the newly married men and the warriors. The 

 richest and most influential old man in each vil- 

 lage is made the judge or arbiter in all disputes 

 arisino; between the inhabitants of that villafje. Such 

 questions as petty larceny, trespass, and violence are 

 submitted to him for adjudication. When an inhabi- 

 tant of one village inflicts some wrong upon a resi- 

 dent of another village, a joint commission is formed 

 consisting of the older and more influential men of 

 the two villages ; and to this body there is generally 

 added a man of renowned sagacity, brought from 

 some distant village to express his opinion. 



The whole Embe country, which comprises about 

 10,000 inhabitants, is divided into several districts, 

 each possessing an old man who is supposed to be 

 so much more intelligent than his fellows, that his 

 voice carries most weight in all matters relating to 

 his district. These local divisions vary in size and 

 importance, and, as far as I could gather, are twelve 

 in number. The richest of all the districts was the 

 one in which we were encamped, and the headman of 

 this division of the Embe was an elder named Liria, 

 who happened to be one of the hostages we had 

 detained while in the Daitcho country. 



The councils at which all questions of moment 

 are discussed are composed exclusively of old men ; 

 that is, men who have been married for more than 

 five years. The warriors, as a class, are not repre- 



