428 



MARRIAGES. 



young person is blessed, congratulated, and 

 petted with small gifts by papa and mamma. 

 She often owes, it is whispered, her blushing 

 honours to the simple process of cutting a 

 pigeon's throat. In case of a disappointment, 

 there is a violent scene of abuse and recrimin- 

 ation ; but when lungs and wrath are exhausted, 

 the storm is lulled without blows or even divorce. 

 The first c Mfungato,' i. e. seven (days) after 

 consummation, is devoted to the wildest revelry, 

 the 'Walimeh,' or wedding feast, concluding 

 only with the materials for feasting. 



The Msawahili is allowed to breaths his last 

 upon a couch, and the corpse, after being washed 

 by an Alim or by some kinsman, is hastily 

 wrapped in a perfumed winding-sheet. Women 

 of the highest rank sit at home in solitary grief. 

 The middle-classes stain their faces, assume dark 

 or dingy-coloured dresses, and repair to the sea- 

 shore for the purpose of washing the dead man's 

 clothes before dividing them amongst his rela- 

 tions or distributing them to the poor. The 

 slave girls shave their heads like Hindus, bathe, 

 and go about the streets singing Ncniae, and 

 mourning aloud. Meanwhile a collection, tech- 

 nically known as San da (the winding-sheet), is 

 made amongst the people, who are almost all 



