I20 Wanderings in Eastern Africa. 
Marriage is not an indissoluble union among the 
Wanika. They can snap the bond at pleasure. If 
the parties weary of each other they separate without 
any formality, except that the husband demands the 
return of his money. It often happens that a man 
will agree to deliver his wife to a friend upon that 
friend paying him the sum he may have originally 
given for her himself, and this may occur many times 
in the course of one life. On the other hand, there 
are many who maintain their union down to the grave. 
Polygamy of course exists. A man may marry 
as many wives as he can pay for, and his greatness 
and importance is judged of in proportion to their 
number. The old Hebrew custom prevails among 
them regarding the wife or wives of a deceased man ; 
they fall to the lot of the brother next in years, 
though he may have already several wives of his own. 
He may, however, marry them to other men if he 
chooses to do so ; for of course he is not more bound 
to keep them than he is to keep his own wives, but if 
he part with them he claims the dowry. They are 
therefore always deemed an acquisition and not a 
burden. 
Death is looked upon as an unmitigated calamity ; 
yet funerals are turned into seasons of uproarious 
jollification and excitement. They will not look at 
the horrible skeleton-form and ghastly shadow ; they 
shrink from it ; they avert their glance, close their 
eyes, and do everything in their power in order to 
avoid catching a sight of the dread foe. "What good," 
say they, **is to be got by brooding over one^s sorrows.^ 
If we were to do so, we should get no rest either by 
day or by night. If we think of the dead by day we 
