45 2 
BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA 
Mwaka Sungula, much revered for his powers of bringing down rain or of 
changing the wind. He was often resorted to when the weather required 
amendment. Some six or seven years ago the African Lakes Company’s 
steamer Domira was stranded in the shallows a little distance to the north of 
Karonga. Hundreds of natives were employed for days tugging and hauling 
and pushing at the steamer without any result ; she still remained hopelessly 
stuck in the sand. At last they called Mwaka Sungula to their assistance. 
Having been “squared ” by a small present he went through several incantations 
in the evening of the day and wound up by sprinkling the blood of a white cock 
on the natives around the steamer. Next morning the steamer was afloat. The 
wind had changed in the night, had blown up the water of the lake and raised 
the vessel from off the sandbank. Naturally ever since all failures of Mwaka 
Sungula have been forgotten in the face of this one crowning success. 
Among other superstitions in Northern Nyasaland no woman will state the 
name of her husband or even use a word that may be synonymous with his 
name . 1 If she were to call him by his proper name she considers it would be 
unlucky and affect her powers of conception. In the same way the women do 
not, for superstitious reasons, use the common names of articles of food but 
special terms peculiar to the women’s use. 
The life of an African is rigidly ruled by custom. He is more of a slave to 
custom than the average European. I have noticed most of the ceremonies 
connected with birth, marriage, death and burial; but all the important phases 
and functions of their lives are attended with special customs, almost invariably 
expressed by much dancing, and brewing, drinking, and libations of native beer. 
At the beginning of the hoeing season (say October) feasts are held. In some 
cases there is a “ hoe ” dance, wherein the dancers carry hoes which they strike 
together with a musical clang, in rhythm with the beating of the drums. Beer 
is brewed from various grains in great quantities and not only drunk by the 
dancers but poured out on the soil in libations. Much the same is done at 
harvest time. No important journey is undertaken without small sacrifices 
to ancestors and consulting the oracle by means of the small “ divination ” 
sticks already described, which according to whether they shift their position 
or not determine a man whether he shall stay or go. A snake or a hare 
crossing his path at starting will turn him back ; the sight of the stinking 
Ponera ant will encourage him ; still more the song of certain birds. 
These negroes delight in fables and in beast stories. They may be truly 
said to “ speak in parables,” parabolic metaphor entering largely into their 
speech. In the beast stories—-which are usually somewhat inane and without 
a very clear point—the Hyena, the Leopard, the Jackal, the Tortoise, the Owl, 
and the Hare figure principally, the Hare being usually the leading character 
and taking the place of the Fox in European folk-lore for cunning and inde¬ 
pendence of action, while the Hyena is nearly always the butt, the greedy fool 
who is the victim of practical jokes. It is difficult to see how this view of the 
Hare’s character arose, as the African species of this animal do not strike a 
European as being particularly astute or wily. These stories are very similar 
to such as are found in Zululand and elsewhere in Bantu Africa. 
Riddles, proverbs, and “ hard sayings ” are most numerous in all the 
1 There is a remarkable degree of demonstrative affection between the Wankonde husband and wife, 
a phase of character very rare amongst Central African negroes. This has been noticed by many travellers 
—Thomson, Giraud, Nicoll, Fotheringham, Dr. Kerr Cross and myself. 
