CHAP. V.] 
THE VALUE OF WIVES. 
149 
thing is practical, without a particle of romance. 
Women are so far appreciated as they are valuable 
animals. They grind the corn, fetch the water, gather 
firewood, cement the floors, cook the food, and pro¬ 
pagate the race; but they are mere servants, and as, 
such are valuable. The price of a good-looking, strong 
young wife, who could carry a heavy jar of water, 
would be ten cows; thus a man, rich in cattle, would 
be rich in domestic bliss, as he could command a multi-, 
plicity of wives. However delightful may be a family 
of daughters in England, they nevertheless are costly 
treasures; but in Latooka, and throughout savage 
lands, they are exceedingly profitable. The simple 
rule of proportion will suggest that if one daughter is 
worth ten cows, ten daughters must be worth a hum 
dred, therefore a large family is the source of wealth * 
the girls produce the cows, and the boys milk them. 
All being perfectly naked (I mean the girls and the 
boys), there is no expense, and the children act as 
herdsmen to the flocks as in the patriarchal times. A 
multiplicity of wives thus increases wealth by the 
increase of family. I am afraid this practical state of 
affairs will be a strong barrier to missionary enterprize. 
A savage holds to his cows, and his women, but 
especially to his coivs. In a razzia fight he will seldom 
stand for the sake of his wives, but w r hen he does fight 
it is to save his cattle. I now had a vivid exempli¬ 
fication of this theory. 
One day, at about 3 p.m., the men of Ibrahim started 
upon some mysterious errand, .but returned equally 
mysterious at about midnight. On the following 
morning I heard that they had intended to attack 
some place upon the mountains, but they had heard 
that it was too powerful, and as “discretion is the 
better part of valour,” they had returned. 
On the day following I heard that there had been 
some disaster, and that the whole of Mahommed Her s 
party had been massacred. The natives seemed very 
excited, and messenger succeeded messenger, all con- 
