384 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
bride-elect proceeds to the kraal of the bridegroom, the 
company carrying various articles of food, such as a 
plucked hen, and an egg resting on a plate piled with 
meal, the latter being considered symbolical of the inno¬ 
cence of the bride. Musical instruments are played in 
the procession, and the people shout and dance in testi¬ 
mony of their joy. 
During all this ceremony, the bridegroom is not per¬ 
mitted to appear outside of his hut. He is dressed in 
his best, decorated with beads, and anointed with the 
oil of almonds. No sooner is the first part of the cere¬ 
mony over, than he comes to the threshold of the hut 
and shows himself to the assemblage, the chief of the 
bride’s family receiving presents from them. After this 
he is taken back to his hut. The ceremony of giving 
away the bride follows, and then she is introduced to the 
hut of the bridegroom. 
When kings desire to marry, they merely issue an 
order to the father to present his daughter, and the 
request is immediately complied with. The king looks 
upon his subjects as being slaves. He may have as many 
as fifty, or even a hundred wives. Should it suit his 
humour to put any of them to death, he does so without 
further ado. Executions are carried out sometimes in 
the presence of the woman’s father, who, through fear 
of giving offence to the king, will exhibit satisfaction 
rather than sorrow. Any appearance of grief would 
be fatal to him. Occasionally the king may order 
the father to be the executioner, and even then the 
horribly unnatural command is obeyed with apparent 
satisfaction. 
After a short stay at Tette, Mr. Kerr crossed the 
Zambesi, and entered the country of the fierce Angoni, 
which lies between the Zambesi and Lake Nyassa, the 
latter being his goal. He resolved to make for the 
Scotch mission station Livingstonia, on the south end of 
the lakes, where he hoped to be succoured and com¬ 
forted by his countrymen, for by this time he was in 
considerable straits. On his way he had to come in con¬ 
tact with a powerful and somewhat insolent native 
