Occasional Papers for Nyasaland (Likoma, 1893), afterwards The Nyasa News (Likoma, 1893-95). This periodical contains a large amount of exceedingly valuable information. Some use has also been made of two other magazines—Life and Work in Central Africa (Blantyre), and The Aurora (Livingstonia Mission, Bandawe).

ADDENDA

I. [P. 74-5.]—The Spider absent from Bantu folk-lore. This statement requires some modification. Since writing the above, I have examined a number of Duala animal-stories collected by Herr Wilhelm Lederbogen, formerly of the Government School at Kamerun. The Duala are the most north-westerly Bantu tribe, and have probably borrowed some of their folk-lore from their Efik neighbours. As in most of the West Coast stories, moreover, the place of the Hare is taken by a small species of antelope, to which the English-speaking natives of Sierra Leone have, for some occult reason, given the name of Cunnie Rabbit. (It is curious that a Duala native, when telling a story in German, also called the creature a hare, but explained that ‘it is not like [the hares] here, but has little horns.’—See Elli Meinhof, Märchen aus Kamerun.) Mr. Dennett also gives a Lower Congo story of ‘How the Spider won and lost Nzambi’s Daughter.’—(See Folk-lore of the Fjort.)

II. [P. 155-6.]—This mode of burying those who have died of smallpox is not invariable, or else the practice has been modified of late years. A more recent native account says: ‘In this case a small reed is stuck into the side of the grave. Along this reed the disease will creep and so escape from the body into the open air. For they say that if they do not thus allow the disease to escape, “they will only plant the disease in the ground, and epidemics will be frequent.”’

The same authority states that a difference is made in case of violent death: ‘One who has died from the effects of a gunshot wound or the thrust of a spear is buried at once without the ordinary delay of a day or two waiting for the relations to arrive. The body is not allowed to be at the village even for one night, but is buried at once. Nor do the awilo in this case dig the grave to any depth. They say that if they dig deeply they will be stabbed. One killed by a wild beast is treated in similar fashion.’—(Life and Work in British Central Africa, Dec. 1905, p. 4.)

The writer of the above is apparently a Yao. He does not specify whether these remarks apply to Yao or Anyanja; but as, in other passages, he is careful to point out where the practice of the two tribes differs, we may no doubt understand him as referring to both.

III. [P. 279.]—Mombera. Dr. Elmslie (Among the Wild Ngoni, Edinburgh, 1901) gives an interesting picture of this chief. ‘Mombera had a dual character. He was at his best in the early part of the day, before he became intoxicated, and so by sunrise people with cases to be judged went to see him. Then his affability and generous behaviour were pleasant to see, but toward afternoon, when the beer he continually sipped began to act, his civility was at an end for the day.’... Many natives, in later life, when they find their digestive powers weakening, come to depend on the nourishing moa for their principal sustenance, with results (when, like Mombera, they can command unlimited quantities) as above.

‘When sober, he delighted to play with his children, and manifested a very pleasing interest in them and their mothers.... He had a great interest in old people, of whom he had always a great number living in huts within the seraglio. He treated them with respect, and provided for them from his own table. If he was shown anything new and strange, he would generally have it shown to the old people, and while they knelt before him in due respect, one could notice with pleasure their trustful attitude and how he would heartily respond to any observation of wonder they might express.... He said they would have to report to the ancestral spirits how many new and wonderful things had now become known to the people....

‘... He was neither cruel nor bloodthirsty. He discountenanced the poison ordeal which was adopted from the Tonga slaves, believing rather in their own trial by boiling water, which at most only maimed the person and did not destroy life as the mwavi did. He was considered to be “too soft” by the more degraded and fiery dispositions, and had no delight in condemning to death. Only two instances of the death-penalty being inflicted by Mombera came under my own observation during all the years I lived under him. In one case he caused a man to be put to death for cattle-stealing, after having pardoned him for the same offence.... The other case was where a member of the royal family killed a slave who had run away from him and put himself under the protection of another master....’ (Pp. 115-117.)