s 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