212 Rev. J. Roscoe. P7'eliminary Report of the 



there are two or three tribes of the Hamitic stock, who, through the British 

 occupation, have been merged into one nation. 



From Ankole the Expedition passed further west to the district known as 

 Kigezi, which stretches to the Belgian Congo on the western side, and is 

 bounded by Kuanda on its southern side. This is a mountainous country, 

 occupied by several tribes. The most populous tribe is called Bakyiga. These 

 are agricultural : they cultivate the sides of the mountains and also possess 

 large herds of cows. They are a wild people, strong and fearless. They have 

 never submitted to the pastoral people, though I found the pygmies had 

 driven them back from one part of their country bordering on the Congo. 

 The mountains in this district are very fine, and there is an active volcano, 

 known to the inhabitants as Bufumbiro, which means Cookhouse. 



While studying the Bakyiga one was struck by the similarity of their 

 customs to those of the Bagesu on Mount Elgon. It was impossible to 

 obtain any .information as to their past history : they stated they knew 

 nothing of themselves beyond their grandfathers' time. They have no over- 

 chief, and no method of recording events could be discovered. I found they 

 buried their dead near their huts, and there is no trace of cannibalism. In 

 this they differ from the Bagesu, who are ceremonial cannibals and eat their 

 dead. The disregard for life is very marked, and the clans are so hostile that 

 it is unsafe for a man to leave his home and walk a mile into another district 

 alone : he would be speared to death when he crossed the border. 



When a man wishes to marry, he asks one or two friends to help him to 

 find some young woman engaged in cultivation ; the party then lie in ambush 

 until she is alone, when they kidnap her and march her off to their home. 

 From a hill they call to the girl's father, and tell him to come and take the 

 dowry for his daughter, who is now to be the wife of such a one. Should the 

 brothers of this woman meet a brother-in-law, they do not hesitate to 

 murder him. There is no bond of relationship through marriage. Deeds of 

 violence are common ; I saw an instance during the few days I spent in the 

 district. A man wounded a clan brother of the same village, who wanted to 

 sell him a goat for a higher price than he wished to give. The purchaser 

 marked his disapproval by thrusting his spear through the thigh of the 

 seller of the animal. 



I also heard that murder was quite common, even though the punishment 

 is severe. Two murders were said to have taken place a few days before my 

 arrival. In each case the murderer, after being bound hand and foot, was 

 tried, and, when proved to be guilty, was buried alive under the corpse. 

 When I reached Mount Elgon, some months later, and was making enquiries 

 among the various clans of Bagesu, I found a clan calling themselves 



