Barotseland

by D. E. C. Stirke

The Law of Succession.

This law is particularly selected to be described here as a peculiar and solitary example of how the old Barozi law differs entirely from the similar laws of all the tribes now absorbed under the sovereignty of the Barozi. According to Barozi law, the heir is, if possible, a son; but failing a son, a brother. A father may nominate a favourite son as heir and he need not be the eldest son, but should he die intestate, the Kotla will generally choose the elder son as heir unless he is an outlaw or desperado, when a younger and better behaved man is elected. On the other hand the laws of all other tribes hold as the heir the sister’s son. This, as is quite easy to understand, was caused by the looseness of morals of these smaller tribes, which meant that no man could be sure that the child born by his wife was begotten by him himself. It was argued that whoever was the father to the son of any man’s sister, the son must at any rate have a certain amount of his mother’s and hence of his maternal uncle’s blood, and was therefore the most suitable person to appoint as heir. Comparing this with the Barozi law on the subject, it will be seen that although under Barozi law the nephew might be an heir if there were no sons of the deceased alive, yet the law or custom regulating succession in the other subordinate tribes, made the nephew heir in preference to all other possible heirs.

As a matter of fact, all estates (in which the ruling of the law of succession might affect other members of the deceased’s family—to wit, the estates of wealthy indunas and headmen) come under the jurisdiction of the Kotla for settlement. The reason for this is that wealth is nearly always represented by cattle and as in ancient European times, the Crown was the only possessor of lands, so the chief is by repute the owner of all cattle in the country, and on the death of any person of importance who was in charge of a large herd of the chief’s cattle, the Kotla had to step in to decide how many cattle should revert to the chief, how many were earned by the deceased as a reward for herding the rest, and how many should be left on the chief’s behalf in the care of the heir. So, while the Kotla always hands over the bulk to one particular person, the other members of the family are also given a small share, while the estate often maintains the widow or widows—especially if pregnant—for some time, until remarriage or return to their parents releases the estate from such obligations.

A Mambalangwe Belle

Photo by Mrs. Cambell

CHAPTER X.
General.

Clothing.—The Barozi wear for the most part European clothing. The men wear what is known as “seziba” in Sisuto, or “sekupato” in Sirozi. This is made by taking two broad pieces of limbo and by joining them by a narrow piece. The broad piece is draped in front from well below the knees up to the belt over which it passes, the narrow piece turns down inside the belt, is passed between the legs and up the back to the belt under which it goes. Having passed the belt, the other broad piece is turned down from the belt to the back of the legs, hanging over the buttocks.

The women wear skirts made full at the feet and narrowing in to the waist. The wealth of a person is shown by the quantity of limbo worn in the “seziba” or skirt. The women like to wear anything up to eight or nine skirts, one on top of another as a large posterior is considered a great sign of beauty. Small children, after about the second year, wear a small dress over the genital organs, consisting of numerous strings of twisted bark. Further away from trading centres people are found in skins, the men with a skin in front and one behind, and the women with a kilt made of cowhide. Hides are used for blankets, but the European blanket is nearly universal throughout the country.

Personal Ornaments.—Few, if any of these, are of truly native origin. Brass rings are worn, if procurable, and ivory and bone ones. Ivory bracelets on the arms are, however, of native origin. In the old days, chiefs, members of the blood royal, sons-in-law of the Chief, and the wives of the Chief, were the only people who could wear ivory bracelets, but nowadays, anyone who can afford to buy, wears them. Ivory pins for scratching the head were also a royal privilege, but anyone who likes can carry one now. So in former days, the carrying of an eland-tail fly switch was a royal privilege, but this has also lapsed with time and the approach of civilization. Beards are worn by the men, but moustaches are seldom seen. No beard used to be allowed to be longer than the Chief Lewanika’s. Even his son Litia, who had a longer beard than the Chief’s, hid his beard inside his shirt when moving in public. Beads are universally worn.

Tattooing and Painting.—In former times red ochre was very popular as a decoration, especially for the hair but this is never used now. Tattooing is universal. The most common mark is the straight line running from the forehead to the end of the nose. This is done by men and women. The women also tattoo a black circle round each eye above the eyebrow and down to the cheek bone, this looks, when newly made, like the rim of an immense pair of spectacles. Women also cut rows of small gashes along the stomach about level with the navel. These were all supposed to add to beauty, possibly to draw attention to a clean skin. The women also cut a parallelogram of deep gashes above the buttocks right across the back, but this is done solely and simply to give their husbands a good grip on their wives when indulging in the pleasures of matrimony. Unfortunately, this place for a grip is not kept sacred to husbands only. A great deal of gashing is also done for medicinal purposes, which will be mentioned further on.

Religion and Superstitions.—The Barozi worship a god named Nyambi. He is, by repute, very cruel, and for this reason all children are given ugly names with the idea that if Nyambi should pass by and hear anyone calling “Katongwani” (the little hyena), “Kambotwe” (the little frog), “Namasiku” (thing of darkness or night), “Mubu” (mud) &c. &c., he would think a person with such a name as bound to be ugly and not worth killing. Nyambi is supposed to have a wife named Nasilele who is represented by the Evening Star. When the moon wanes, this is said to be from shame because Nasilele being jealous of Nyambi’s attention to a younger wife, is trying to poison Nyambi. The new moon shows that Nasilele has been unsuccessful. Thunder and lightning, which is all classed as rain, is said to be sent from Nyambi. The lightning is supposed to be an enormous spur wing goose. Its wings beating against the earth cause the thunder and lightning, and the damage actually done by lightning is said to be caused by the spur of the goose’s wing. A small table, about eighteen inches high, is erected in every village, and on this are generally placed a small dish of water and a few cobs of mealies or other foodstuffs. This is in case Nyambi should feel hungry or thirsty while passing through the village. The Barozi do not, however, realize a heaven. A dead man’s spirit is either captured by a witch doctor as his servant, or else starts a career of its own—always of evil-doing. The spirits of the dead always work off any old scores that may be outstanding between the deceased and other people. Sickness, bad crops, accidents, bad luck, &c., are all attributed to the malignancy of spirits. To this day, cattle are sent as an offering to the grave of Mwanambinji, who in his day was a great chief, and who becoming scared of his brother, descended with people and cattle into the earth near Sinanga in the Barozi Valley.

A Mankoya Chief and Retinue

Photo by J. Walton, Esq.

Certain people are credited with power to make rain, to give immunity from lions, to cure all sicknesses and many other things, but they will, none of them, stand inspection or examination. All abnormal sights in the heavens, such as the appearance of Halley’s Comet, which was very clearly visible in the Barozi country, are said to be signs of great trouble coming. The death of His Majesty, King Edward VII., was at once received as the misfortune predicted by the appearance of the comet.

Amongst the Barozi, monkeys are said to be human beings and the Barozi do not eat them, although some of the subordinate tribes do so. The “Lisikita” (grey owl) is looked on with great dread and only a few educated Barozi will shoot at it. Its presence is said to foretell the speedy death of some member of the village at which it is seen. The “Lisikita” is said to live on human bodies and is often considered to be a “Muloi” i.e., an evil spirit sent by some one to bewitch and kill an enemy. Great faith is put in witch-craft of all sorts. If two men quarrel, one will go to a witch-doctor and pay him an agreed price to bewitch his enemy. The natural vicissitudes of daily life all play into the hands of the witch doctor. A man cutting a bough, may get hurt by the bough falling on him, the axe may slip and cut him, a thorn in the bush may graze him and give him blood-poisoning, he may have a touch of fever, his cattle may die from bad grazing, all and everything is immediately claimed by the witch-doctor as a proof of the potency of his charm. The bewitchment is in some cases, effected by certain herbs being boiled in water and the man’s name being whispered into the steam, in other cases, the doctor climbs a tall tree, faces the direction of the village of the party to be bewitched, and calls the party by name, in other cases some reputedly wondrous herb dropped near the fence or near the hut of the party will do the necessary mischief; in other cases, a wooden dish filled with human urine and excrement and placed inside the party’s fence will effect the evil. Women believe that by rubbing dried hyena dung on a rival wife’s blanket, the rival will become repulsive to the husband and will be driven away to the honour and glory of the other wife. A peculiar and very disgusting method exists but the origin of it is unknown and it is very rarely heard of. It may possibly come from the west from certain wild tribes in the Portuguese Territory. If a man wishes to strengthen himself to bewitch his foes, he cooks porridge. When cooked he takes it into his house and makes his wife strip and lie flat on her back. Each handful that he takes to eat, is rubbed on his wife’s genital organs. Whether this is only done when the foes are relatives of his wife, or against any or all foes is unknown. The Barozi deny all knowledge of this, but a case of it has been heard of in recent years, and as it seems a little too peculiar to be attributed to the imagination of the wife, mention has been made of it.

There is a quaint ceremony attached to the yearly move of the chief from his village to his rainy season dwelling-place. It might almost belong to the chapter devoted to customs, but its similarity to the Old Testament story of the ark, has almost brought it under the heading of religion. It must be explained that the Barozi valley is a huge plain which is inundated during the wet season, from March to May, by the floods from the Zambesi. There is a legend that the first known Barozi chief “Mbōō” (Mwanasilundwe) had warning that there was going to be an abnormal flood. The name of this flood was “Meya-lungwangwa” (the waters are itching). So he built himself a tremendous boat of beams of wood which he laced together with bark and reeds. When completed, he got on to this with his wives, children, animals and servants, and went on until at last he reached the higher forest country where he was safe. The chief, every year at high water goes off to his village at the edge of the valley, in a very large boat, with about sixty people paddling in front of the boat and another sixty in the stern. The boat is called “Nalikwanda” and is always spoken of as a man, and when being prepared for the excursion has a “beard” made of plaited reeds hung on to bow and stem. Over the shelter (“lutanka”) erected in the middle of the boat, is a big figure representing an elephant—the crest of the chief. (The Mokwai of Nalolo and Litia also perform this ceremony, and have a bull and an eland respectively as their crests.) The chief sits in the “lutanka” or shelter and eats there while on the voyage. Fire is carried on a small raised daïs made of clay, and the chief’s war drums are carried on board and beaten strenuously throughout the trip. The paddlers in front, where they can be seen, are always relatives of the chief, those behind are the leading indunas headed by the Prime Minister. If a “relative” swaggers because he paddles under the eyes of the chief, there is always the retort that he paddles where he can be seen, but may not paddle at the back as he can’t be trusted. In old days the induna in charge of the whole crew, had the power to throw out anyone who did not paddle well, and this is kept up to-day, though more as a memento of old times than for any inefficiency, one or two of the paddlers always being thrown overboard into the water, much to the delight of the rest of the crew. The whole trip is the most important ceremony of the year, and the “Nalikwanda” is accompanied by innumerable boats of all sizes filled with men, women and children. All present shriek and yell at the tops of their voices, and the drums are beaten as hard as possible. The resulting noise is better imagined than described. Every few moments a paddler of the Nalikwanda calls out “Ana moyōō” (People of life) and the whole crew roars “Wōō.” This is done twice at a time amid the redoubled yells of the populace. Arrived at their destination, the chief lands amid the acclamations and greetings of his people. The same ceremony is employed for the return journey at the end of the rainy season.

A Traveller on the Zambezi

Photo by J. Walton, Esq.

The Mankoya Chief, Mweni-Mutondo, and Band

Photo by J. Walton, Esq.

The “Ngombo” is a Bambunda form of divination or fortune-telling. It consists of three or four skins of the stink-cat (a species of weasel) which are used as a small mat. The fortune teller sits behind these and holds a tray made of bark over the skins, with forty or fifty models and symbols on it. The models represent a man, a woman, a boat, a drum, a chair, a male child, a female child and a carrier’s load. The symbols are a buck’s hoof (pad) to represent travel, a dried monkey-nut shell to represent a pregnant woman, a star with rays to represent the sun, a quarter circle to represent the moon, a tortoise skull to represent “early” as tortoises are supposed to travel very early, a tiger-fish’s jaw to represent laughter, the dried out shell of a spotted beetle to represent trouble, a broken bone to represent fear, an iron bangle to represent a village and many other symbols too numerous to mention. These all lie in the tray and the fortune-teller, after invoking the aid of various spirits, sprinkles a little red ochre and a little chalk over the tray. The séance is then ready to commence and after payment of a small fee, the enquirer asks any question he may wish answered. The fortune-teller then gives the tray several gentle jerks to mix up all the figures and symbols and after doing this several times, and at the same time invoking the spirits to help him to read clearly and truthfully, he answers the queries put to him. Great faith is put in his answers, although to a sceptical on-looker it might well be thought that by judicious shaking, the various symbols can be arranged more or less as the fortune teller wishes. Directly the male (or female, as the case may be) figure assumes an upright or prominent position, the answer is read from the proximity of the surrounding symbols. The fee is very small, a shilling, or a few beads or a bit of limbo, are each and all sufficient to the “Ngombo” who is very popular, and if the fortune teller is at all lucky in his prophesies, his reputation spreads throughout the country.

There are several forms of witch-craft which have been alluded to previously, but the “tests” for proving a person guilty of witch-craft will now be described. There is the boiling water test, in which, after a large pot of water has been brought to the boil, the accused has to immerse his arm and to pick up the pebbles thrown into the bottom of the pot. His immunity from burn or scald proves his innocence. The most important test is that of “Mwati.” This test is made in two ways according as the matter is serious or not. If the matter is not too serious, the accused person brings a dog or a fowl. These are made to drink the “Mwati” and should they vomit and live after it, the accused is held to be not guilty, but should the dog or fowl die, the accused is found guilty and fined accordingly. In a more serious case, the accused will drink the “Mwati” himself. His innocence is proved by his vomiting and living, but his death proves his guilt and his relatives will then probably have to pay the compensation. These tests are of course prohibited by law, and any one aiding or abetting at an administration of the “Mwati” is liable to several years’ imprisonment. The same penalty is in store for any one who throws the bones to ascertain who may be guilty of witch-craft, and a heavy penalty exists for the person who even makes the bare statement that another is a witch, witch-doctor or a person who employs unnatural means for obtaining his desires. This may seem severe to any one who does not know and realize the immense influence and power any knowledge of the black arts, whether real or pretended, has over an ignorant, uneducated and superstitious native race. But when it is remembered what the part played in the rebellions by superstition was, it is easy to understand that anything appertaining to witch-craft has to be suppressed with a stern and unyielding hand.

There seems to be no trace of fire-worship in the country. The Barozi will not, however, throw rubbish on their fires and do not expectorate into it, as this would be considered dirty, but there is no veneration for fire as a deity or of divine extraction.

Medicinal, &c.—The majority of cures effected by native doctors are the result of good constitutions, and not science. There are doubtless native remedies that are effective, but as few or any of these have been analysed it is impossible to ascertain their efficacy. Trivial illnesses are attributed to evil spirits residing in the body, and the cure for these is to call in a “doctor,” who makes a roaring fire on which a large pot of herbs and water is boiled. When boiling, the pot is placed on the edge of the fire and covered with a skin. The patient is brought and placed under the skin as well. The proximity to the fire and the steam from the boiling pot cause such heavy perspiration that the patient nearly always faints from exhaustion as well as from the partial suffocation. Any attempt of the patient to withdraw from the covering is sternly prevented, and any groans or spasmodic movements of the patient’s limbs are held to be a sure sign of the egress of the evil spirits. During the sweating the “doctor” dances vigorously, and drums are beaten and songs sung to drive off the evil spirits. As a large number of trivial ailments are caused by malaria, this sweating is often efficacious, but on the other hand, the patients frequently die from exhaustion or pneumonia.

Venereal diseases are very prevalent amongst the Barozi. Syphilis, yaws and gonorrhœa are common. The Barozi affirm that they never knew of any of these ailments till visited by members of other tribes, but this is very dubious. The Barozi do not recognise any difference between syphilis and yaws, which they consider as two forms of one disease. It is commonly stated that a certain cure for venereal diseases can be effected by the sufferer having sexual connexion with a virgin. The fact, however, that children of similar ages commence immoral relations almost as soon as they can walk, may possibly explain why this cure is never effected. No attempt at segregation is made, nor do sufferers of either sex refrain from copulation while suffering from these diseases. Much of the epilepsy now common in the country is undoubtedly due to syphilis. The “doctors” have a reputed cure, and cases are known of in which apparent external healing takes place, but nothing is known or proved of the entire elimination of the disease from the sufferer, or from his or her progeny.

Leprosy is very common throughout the country and is becoming more common as each year passes, although it must be admitted that the increase is very slow and small. In former days the Barozi practised segregation. A hut for the leper was built outside the village, the “doctor” visited him at night, and then never actually came in contact with the leper, but prescribed for him from outside the hut. The leper’s food was cooked after sundown and carried by an old woman and deposited into his bowls and dishes, which were placed outside his hut. To-day it is regrettable that nothing of this sort is done. Lepers mix freely with clean people; leper men marry clean women, clean men marry leprous women. Leprous and clean eat from common dishes, use the same blankets, the same sleeping mats, the same houses. This lapse is more probably due to a spirit of fatalism than anything else, although the Barozi are certainly not notorious for cleanliness or energy. Segregation might be effected. There are large spaces of unoccupied country that might be fenced off and made into enormous leper locations, but the difficulty of obtaining the consent of the Barozi people to such treatment and the expense entailed would be very great. It is noticeable that in those parts of the country where sun-dried barbel and other fish are eaten in large quantities lepers are most numerous.

Blood-letting is very common amongst the Barozi as a form of relief from pain. This is done in two ways, either by cutting a row of gashes about an inch long over the part affected, or else by cupping. To perform the last-mentioned form of blood-letting, the top of a bullock or buck’s horn is taken and pressed over the sore spot which is well damped previously. As it dries, the horn establishes suction, and eventually raises a blister over the sore place. The blister bursts, and a quantity of blood is drawn off by the suction. The horn drops off naturally after the blister bursts. Another method of relieving acute pain is to tie a piece, of bark or string tightly round the affected part. This is more frequently done for pains in the head, chest, and stomach.

Village School Boys, with Parents in foreground

Photo by J. Walton, Esq.

Hauling Boats through Rapids

The Barozi have certain medicines to prevent pregnancy, and although they are not at all ready to submit these roots for analysis, they are by repute very effective. They have other roots to assist women to become pregnant, but these do not seem to be held in such confidence as the preventive roots.

It is certain that the Barozi, or, rather, the “doctors,” have knowledge of many very effective poisons, but here again the lack of opportunity to hold post-mortems prevents any definite results being proved. One medical officer who held a post-mortem was ever afterwards charged with taking certain portions of the inside of the corpse away to make up into medicines for other patients, and it took several years to overcome and remove this belief. Amongst other poisons the Barozi prefer to use the dried brain of the crocodile, as this when properly dried and powdered looks so similar to the ordinary meal from which they make their daily porridge, that it is indiscernible when mixed with the meal, and the impossibility of holding a post-mortem directly after death prevents the efficacy of the poison being proved or disproved. The Barozi themselves swear that it is most fatal. There is naturally much reticence nowadays amongst them to disclose the poisons or their names, but there is one poison that is reputed to take two or three months to kill the person to whom it is administered. The person poisoned is said to feel no effects for two or three days, after which vomiting starts and lasts till death; at the same time the body slowly wastes away. This poison is administered in either food or drink, and is only known, perhaps fortunately, to very few. Another very favourite remedy for complaints is the firing of a gun—loaded with powder only—at the afflicted party. This is generally done when the sick person is unable to afford a “doctor’s” fees. As guns are left for long periods loaded, it sometimes happens that the bullet is accidentally left in, and the patient is then freed from any further need of medical attention in this world.

Games and Recreation.—Recreation is taken by old and young alike. Adults and children dance on all and every occasion. A few of the dances, as will be seen, are for the different sexes, but the majority of dances are performed by men and women together; although the men generally group on one side and the women opposite them. Children have other games in which the adults do not join. The little girls make clay models like human beings, and use these as dolls; the little boys make models of cattle and play at herding cattle. The sexes join in many of their games. The favourite games when boys and girls play together is “Mandwani.” The children go outside the village and make several little grass huts about two or three feet high. A chief is appointed, and indunas and other important people are elected, and a mock representation of the daily life at the capital is acted. Another game is “Chuku-chuku.” A child picks up some small article and hides it in the hands, then holds out the hand, and another guesses what it is. A correct guess meets with much acclamation, wrong guesses being loudly derided. Boys are very fond of making small traps to catch small birds such as sparrows. Riddles (liyumbo, vide [Chap. VI.]) are very popular, but this form of amusement is not confined to children only, as adults are equally fond of asking each other riddles. Children play another game called “Mayumbo.” A series of small holes are dug in the earth and some small object is chosen. This is taken up by one player, who also takes up loose sand and throws a little into each pit, the small object falling into one or the other of the holes with the sand. The game is to guess which hole the thing has fallen into. This game has a close relationship to similar games which are found from Suez to the Cape of Good Hope amongst all African tribes, and may tend to prove a common source of origin for all of them, although it is also reputed to be played amongst Arab tribes as well; and if this is so, it might suggest that the game was originally introduced by the Arab slave dealers who undoubtedly came as far south as the Zambezi, if not further. Wrestling is also very popular amongst boys, but no other fighting is practised.

Totems.—This is a subject that might well come under the heading of religion, as doubtless, in earlier times the family totem was held in great respect and reverence. To-day however, the totem is rapidly disappearing from the Barozi, and many young men will tell you that they are unaware of their family totems. This is very largely due to intermarriage and amalgamation with other tribes. It must be remembered that a child took the joint totem of its father and mother, when one considers this and remembers also that the father and mother in turn held the joint totems of their parents and so on ad infinitum, it will be quite easy to understand the extreme difficulty in arriving at accurate information from a naturally lazy and careless people who have, apparently, never had any methods of record. There is no doubt that the mother’s totem predominates and always has done so, as cases are numerous of men marrying back to the same (or partially the same) totem as held by their father, but marrying back to the totem held by the mother is practically unknown. The totem laws were probably the origin of the fear and disgust of the Barozi to anything like consanguinity of married couples, and although to-day the totem is forgotten to a great extent, the marriage of relatives of close blood relationship is unknown, and the very idea of such a marriage most abhorrent. This is all the more striking amongst a people whose immorality is notorious and who might with justice be called unmoral rather than immoral. The totems, or such as can be remembered were numerous, all the large buck, the rapids of rivers, trees of the forest, fish, wild animals, roots and bushes and all the elements, were all held as totems for various families. It is worthy of comment that in the case of divorces where female children have been retained by the mother, these female children have assumed the mother’s totem and dropped the father’s totem. It is however nearly impossible to ascertain whether this is due to carelessness or is founded on some old law regulating the totems. To-day there is no certain knowledge among the Barozi whether edible totems such as buck, birds or fishes, were sacred to those whose totems they were, and thus uneatable or not, but an elephant-totem man will certainly not refuse a lump of elephant meat nowadays. The totem of the Chief’s family is the “Namuchoko,” a species of white pumpkin. This was the totem of the Chief’s mother.

Architecture.—The round hut universally built by nearly all native races in South Africa, is most popular among the Barozi, although they say that they learnt it from the Batotela, an aboriginal tribe that were resident in the country when the Barozi entered it. The chiefs and big indunas built large square houses but this style they think was acquired from the Portuguese. The Alunda and Balubale who live to the north, and through whom the Barozi passed on their way south from the Congo, built square huts, but they also suggest that this was acquired from the Portuguese, so that it is a little difficult to determine what the true Barozi style of architecture ever was. Several of the wilder and more debased tribes build little grass shelters only, while the people of the Makoma country often build their residences of mats only. Some of the Barozi state that the true Barozi style of building was a long rectangular hut with a reed frame and walled with grass. The reeds were bent into a curved dome which was also covered with grass, probably a little thicker than the walls. This form of building is still used, but chiefly for travelling-camps erected en route for the Chief and royal family, and the dining-room of the Chief Lewanika is built on this pattern though very elaborately, and with mud instead of grass walls. Nearly all huts have a fence round them, the bigger the man, the bigger the fence. Grain bins are built of various designs; some are made on the pattern of a miniature round hut with a small roof which is taken on and off as food is required. Others are made of clay only and these latter stand four and five feet high. A large lump of clay is taken and hollowed out and as it dries, more is added to it till the bin is the required height. The grain is then inserted and a big cap of clay is put on the top as a cover. When the grain inside is wanted, a hole at the bottom is made and the grain taken out as wanted. The clay bins are only used for mealies, but the others for all kinds of food. All bins are built off the ground to escape white ants, mice and other vermin.

Portion of a Lubale Village

The Lunda Chief, Sinde, and Harem

Oaths, &c.—The Barozi are very prone to oaths. If a Murozi makes an ordinary every-day statement, he is disbelieved promptly and has to swear to its truth before he is believed. The favourite oath is “Ka niti—It is the very truth.” “Fa” is another form which also means “It is the truth,” but “fa” also means “there” and has probably got its value as an oath in a roundabout way by meaning “yes,” there it is (the truth). The common expression of doubt is “Kauki.” This is a common vulgar expression and means “(If you tell me a lie) may you be broken.” Some of the missionaries hold that this word is very wrong, but it is dubious that it is any worse than the English “Go and be hanged,” or any other vulgar form of disagreement. The Barozi have many of these forms of disbelief, “Lu kupazule” (you be torn), “lukung’a ne wena” (may you be injured), “Sijo so ta ja si ku pazule” (may the food you eat choke you) and many more. This form of oath-taking is called “Ku konka” or “ku kaule” and if carried too far is often a cause of squabbles and quarrels, but if real trouble is wanted in the shape of a fight, swearing (“Kulwaha”) is resorted to. All swearing is done by invoking the private portions of the opponents’ relatives, thus “Malete l’aho” (the testicles of your father), “Maboya maho” (the hair on your mother’s thighs), and many other filthy suggestions, all enough to cause trouble. A man to swear at his wife or the wife at her husband is held to be quite sufficient grounds for divorce.