MATKIMONY— ABUSE OF WOMEN. 65 
cash article parents have for sale, and those 
who have a number easily get a livelihood. 
Parents rejoice when daughters are born to 
them, and say "that good too much." The 
reason is obvious. 
Another fruitful source of wife-getting, 
arises from the decease of wealthy headmen. 
Soon after one dies the male members of 
his family (relatives) meet together to 
make a distribution of his goods and 
property ; and his wives, in common with 
other property, are distributed among the 
heirs to the estate, and become the wives of 
the legatees. If any refuse to go with those 
to whom they fall by inheritance, they are 
put into a dark mud hut and left without food 
or drink until they acquiesce in the arrange- 
ment. ' 
Men continue to get wives as long as they 
have means, without reference to age, or 
the number they already have. Kissicum- 
mah, a Mahommedan chief who is very old 
and frail, was still getting wives. When I 
was in his town, I asked his son how many 
wives his father had. He replied, C£ I know 
not, but he have plenty, for he commence 
5 
i 
