MAERIAGE BY WHOLESALE. 
299 
that they invariably frustrated his purpose. Hotly pursued^ the 
young ones sprang on the backs of their mothers, and held on so 
tightly that in their greatest hounds they neither seemed to impede 
the progress of their parent nor fall from their places of refuge. 
In flying, unlike the baboon, which runs on the ground, they seek 
the greatest thickets and trust entirely to the trees for safety. The 
natives informed Petherick that they also invariably slept upon the 
trees, and, in answer to his olFers for a young one, told him that it 
was useless attempting to secure one at night, as they were not to 
be surprised. 
A few days ofter our arrival at the station, eight or ten young 
negresses, all gala dressed, came into the enclosure and danced and 
sang before us. After many evasive answers had been given to 
inquiries as to the position these girls held in the establishment, we 
ascertained that they were living as wives with the same number of 
our men, and that a few were mothers. Summoning the agent, he 
admitted that the girls had been captured, and in some instances 
not unwillingly ; there were children in the zariba, who also had 
been kidnapped. Petherick insisted that all should he restored to 
their villages; hut the girls, with only one exception, objected to 
this, saying they were happier as they were ; and so it was proposed 
that the men should marry them. To this no objection being raised, 
preparations for that ceremony to take place the next evening were 
commenced. 
The children, in charge of an agent and accompanied by the 
chief of the village, set forth to be restored to their homes ; those 
who had been captured near Gondokoro were to accompany us. In 
less than a week the agent returned, having faithfully made over 
the little ones to their parents. 
The second Sunday after our arrival we heard a great outcry, and 
