) 
DISCOVERIES OF THE PORTUGUESE. 143 
1-egard to the married state. A princess may se- 
lect at pleasure any individual as her husband; 
there rests with him no right of refusal. However 
old or ugly she may be, he must instantly accept, 
must dismiss all his other wives, and confine him- 
self wholly to her , he must even, if possible, avoid 
ever seeing another woman. She, on the other 
hand, can indeed have only one husband at a time 5 
but she is at full liberty to change him as often as 
she pleases, and without any reason assigned. It is 
very common to choose a rich husband, spend his 
whole fortune in a short time, and then throw him 
off for another. In this case he returns to his ori* 
ginal rank, whereas, if the union had been dissolved 
by her death, he would have remained a prince for 
life. This has rendered, not unfrequent, the prac- 
tice of administering poison to the royal consort ; 
by which the husband both rids himself of a tyran- 
nical helpmate, and secures the permanence of his 
own dignity. 
M. Degrandpre seems to consider every attempt 
yet made to spread Christianity in Congo as alto- 
gether abortive. He contradicts, however, the re- 
port, that human flesh is eaten by the natives. The 
flesh of criminals, indeed, after execution, is cut in- 
to pieces ; but it is merely exposed, to be devoured 
by birds of prey* It may be observed, however, 
that he never penetrated into those regions in the 
depth of the interior, to which this reproach has been 
exclusively attached by the missionary travellers. 
