412 
MARKIAaES AND FUNERALS. 
Chap. XXI. 
the Portuguese possess. The militia are of no value as soldiers, 
but cost the country nothing, being supported by their wives. 
Then duties are cliiefly to guard the residences of commandants, 
and to act as pohce. 
The chief recreations of the natives of Angola are marriages 
and funerals. When a young woman is about to be married, she 
is placed in a hut alone and anointed with various unguents, and 
many incantations are employed, in order to secure good fortune 
and fruitfulness. Here, as almost everywhere in the south, the 
height of good fortune is to bear sons. They often leave a hus¬ 
band altogether, if they have daughters only. In their dances, 
when any one may wish to deride another, in the accompanying 
song a line is introduced, So and so has no children, and never 
will get any.” She feels the insult so keenly, that it is not un¬ 
common for her to rush away and commit suicide. After some 
days, the bride elect is taken to another hut, and adorned with all 
the richest clothing and ornaments that the relatives can either 
lend or borrow. She is then placed in a public situation, saluted 
as a lady, and presents made by all her acquaintances are placed 
aromid her. After this she is taken to the residence of her hus¬ 
band, where she has a hut for herself, and becomes one of several 
wives, for polygamy is general. Dancing, feasting, and drinking 
on such occasions are prolonged for several days. In case of 
separation, the woman retmms to her father’s family, and the hus¬ 
band receives back what he gave for her. In nearly aU cases a 
man gives a price for the wife, and, in cases of mulattoes, as much 
as 60?. is often given to the parents of the bride. This is one of 
the evds the Bishop was trying to remedy. 
In cases of death the body is kept several days, and there is a 
grand concourse of both sexes, with beating of drums, dances, 
and debauchery, kept up with feasting, &c., according to the 
means of the relatives. The great ambition of many of the blacks 
of Angola is to give their friends an expensive funeral. Often 
when one is asked to sell a pig, he replies, I am keeping it in 
case of the death of any of my friends.” A pig is usually slaugh¬ 
tered and eaten on the last day of the ceremonies, and its head 
thrown into the nearest stream or river. A native will sometimes 
appear intoxicated on these occasions, and, if blamed for his in¬ 
temperance, will reply, “Why! my mother is dead!” as if he 
