The Discovery of the Source of the Nile | Page 6

Their system of
government is mostly of the patriarchal character. Some are pastorals,
but most are agriculturalists; and this difference, I believe, originates
solely from want of a stable government, to enable them to reap what
they produce; for where the negro can save his cattle, which is his

wealth, by eating grain, he will do it. In the same way as all animals,
whether wild or tame, require a guide to lead their flocks, so do the
negroes find it necessary to have chiefs over their villages and little
communities, who are their referees on all domestic or political
questions. They have both their district and their village chiefs, but, in
the countries we are about to travel over, no kings such as we shall find
that the Wahuma have. The district chief is absolute, though guided in
great measure by his "grey-beards," who constantly attend his residence,
and talk over their affairs of state. These commonly concern petty
internal matters; for they are too selfish and too narrow-minded to care
for anything but their own private concerns. The grey-beards circulate
the orders of the chief amongst the village chiefs, who are fined when
they do not comply with them; and hence all orders are pretty well
obeyed.
One thing only tends to disorganise the country, and that is war, caused,
in the first instance, by polygamy, producing a family of half-brothers,
who, all aspiring to succeed their father, fight continually with one
another, and make their chief aim slaves and cattle; whilst, in the
second instance, slavery keeps them ever fighting and reducing their
numbers. The government revenues are levied, on a very small scale,
exclusively for the benefit of the chief and his grey-beards. For instance,
as a sort of land-tax, the chief has a right to drink free from the village
brews of pombe (a kind of beer made by fermentation), which are made
in turn by all the villagers successively. In case of an elephant being
killed, he also takes a share of the meat, and claims one of its tusks as
his right; further, all leopard, lion, or zebra skins are his by right. On
merchandise brought into the country by traders, he has a general right
to make any exactions he thinks he has the power of enforcing, without
any regard to justice or a regulated tariff. This right is called Hongo, in
the plural Mahongo. Another source of revenue is in the effects of all
people condemned for sorcery, who are either burnt, or speared and
cast into the jungles, and their property seized by the grey-beards for
their chief.
As to punishments, all irreclaimable thieves or murderers are killed and
disposed of in the same manner as these sorcerers; whilst on minor

thieves a penalty equivalent to the extent of the depredation is levied.
Illicit intercourse being treated as petty larceny, a value is fixed
according to the value of the woman--for it must be remembered all
women are property. Indeed, marriages are considered a very profitable
speculation, the girl's hand being in the father's gift, who marries her to
any one who will pay her price. This arrangement, however, is not
considered a simple matter of buying and selling, but delights in the
high-sounding title of "dowry." Slaves, cows, goats, fowls, brass wire,
or beads, are the usual things given for this species of dowry. The
marriage-knot, however, is never irretrievably tied; for if the wife finds
a defect in her husband, she can return to her father by refunding the
dowry; whilst the husband, if he objects to his wife, can claim
half-price on sending her home again, which is considered fair, because
as a second-hand article her future value would be diminished by half.
By this system, it must be observed, polygamy is a source of wealth,
since a man's means are measured by the number of his progeny; but it
has other advantages besides the dowry, for the women work more than
the men do, both in and out of doors; and, in addition to the females,
the sons work for the household until they marry, and in after life take
care of their parents in the same way as in the first instance the parents
took care of them.
Twins are usually hailed with delight, because they swell the power of
the family, though in some instances they are put to death. Albinos are
valued, though their colour is not admired. If death occurs in a natural
manner, the body is usually either buried in the village or outside. A
large portion of the negro races affect nudity, despising clothing as
effeminate; but these are chiefly the more boisterous roving pastorals,
who are too lazy either to grow cotton or strip the trees of their bark.
Their young