Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-07-18
FEMALE SUPREMACY IN CENTRAL
AFRICA.

During DR.. Livingston's descent along the river
Hambese ae came chiefly in contact with the Boil
onda negroes. On gaining u more intimate ac'
quaintauce with their social state, our traveller was
specially struck with one prevailing popularity
the position and even power of tho women. As Il
rule, it has been found that heathenism deprives
woman of her rightful status in society, and dooms
her to d~rudgery and degradation, lie was not
prepared, therefore, to find amongst this heather
and very superstitious people the relative position
of man and woman go unusual that wo-
man should sit in the councils OF the
nation that q young man on entering the
matrimonial state should be compelled to remove
from his own village to that of his wife and In
forming this relation he should bind himself to
provide her mother with frewood as long as the
old lady lived that the wife alone could divorce
the husband, and that in tho event ut their sepa-
ration, the children become the property of their
mother and that the lord of creation should be
unable to enter into the most ordinary contract, or
to perform the simplest service for another,
without the sanction of 'the lady superior
were certainly indications of female suprema-
cy, which it was passing strange to find Ut IS to
be hoped for the first time and the last in the his
tory of discovereis) amongst tie denizens of Cen
trail Africa. But yet it must be allowed that "tht
reciprocity was' not ''only on one side" for, IN
return for the husbands Difference his wives are
expected to provide him with food. This possibly
may account for the fact which our friend states
tDat the IauieS never lack u nUSDanu, anu tndI dI
old maid is not to be found from the Cape to the
Equator.
Occasionally, however, there will come n hitch
in their domestic arrangements; and while oul
traveller supplies no instance of rebellion on the
part of the husband, he shows that conspiracy
was not Unusual amongst wives. If at any time
the former is so unfortunate as to offend the Ia
dies, they resolve to wound him in the most ten
der part-the stomach. Returning home, there
fore at the usual hour, he calls upon his first wifi
and asks for dinner but she sends him to a sec
ond whom he loves better )" and she again to
third, until he has run the guantlet:through ther
all, with the same result. Having nothing lei
but to avenge himself of the wrong, faint an
hungry he climbs a tree in some populous part c
his village and proclaims aloud, with piteous into
nations, "Listen, o, listen / thought had MAJ
ried women, but they are only witches! | am
bachelor! | have not q single wife! Is tina
right for a gentleman like me !" But the ladie:
not always satisfied with showing their displea'
| ure in the negative form, will sometimes eve
0 with cuffs and blows. This, however. is carryin
matters a little too far, and the public sentimel
A being against such conduct, the poor sufferer ge
c more substantial revenge for the authorities
G the village then interfere, and his tyranical wife
sentenced for the assault to carry him upon hi
|. back from the Gotta, an enclosed court of I'll
!. chiefs premises, to his own house. tainted, as 81
e goes along with the sneers and gibes of men @
= the one hand but, alas on the other, cheered
o the sympathy and by such exhortations as "Sery
/ him right" 'Give it to him again" from member
S of her oSn gentle SEX British Banner.