It Was At Once A Tribute Of Praise To The
Deceased, And A Lesson To The Living.
The Negro women suckle their children until they are able to walk of
themselves.
Three years nursing is not uncommon; and during this period
the husband devotes his whole attention to his other wives. To this
practice it is owing, I presume, that the family of each wife is seldom
very numerous. Few women have more than five or six children. As soon as
an infant is able to walk, it is permitted to run about with great
freedom. The mother is not over solicitous to preserve it from slight
falls and other trifling accidents. A little practice soon enables the
child to take care of itself, and experience acts the part of a nurse. As
they advance in life, the girls are taught to spin cotton, and to beat
corn, and are instructed in other domestic duties; and the boys are
employed in the labours of the field. Both sexes, whether Bushreens or
Kafirs, on attaining the age of puberty, are circumcised. This painful
operation is not considered by the Kafirs so much in the light of a
religious ceremony, as a matter of convenience and utility. They have,
indeed, a superstitious notion that it contributes to render the marriage
state prolific. The operation is performed upon several young people at
the same time; all of whom are exempted from every sort of labour for two
months afterwards. During this period, they form a society called
_Solimanu_. They visit the towns and villages in the neighbourhood, where
they dance and sing, and are well treated by the inhabitants, I had
frequently, in the course of my journey, observed parties of this
description, but they were all males. I had, however, an opportunity of
seeing a female _Solimana_ at Kamalia.
In the course of the celebration, it frequently happens that some of the
young women get married. If a man takes a fancy to any one of them, it is
not considered as absolutely necessary that he should make an overture to
the girl herself. The first object is to agree with the parents,
concerning the recompence to be given them for the loss of the company
and services of their daughter. The value of two slaves is a common
price, unless the girl is thought very handsome; in which case, the
parents will raise their demand very considerably. If the lover is rich
enough, and willing to give the sum demanded, he then communicates his
wishes to the damsel; but her consent is by no means necessary to the
match; for if the parents agree to it, and eat a few _kolla-nuts_, which
are presented by the suitor as an earnest of the bargain, the young lady
must either have the man of their choice, or continue unmarried, for she
cannot afterwards be given to another. If the parents should attempt it,
the lover is then authorised, by the laws of the country, to seize upon
the girl as his slave.
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