The Feliciana Democrat., 1858-09-04

FEMALE SUPREMACY ~ CENTRAL AFRICA .--
During Dr LiyingstOn'S descent along thc rv
cr Xcmbcsc, he came chiefly in contact with tlrI
Boonda negroes On gaining \ more intmateI
acquaintance with their social state, our tray
cler was specially struck with one prevailing
popularity the position, and even power oi|
the women As rule, it has been found tlrnt
hcathcuism drpruycs women to drulynry ngi
degradation. He was not prepared, therefore,
to find amongst this hcnthcn and vary super
stitious people the relative position Of men and
woman reversed. That the woman should sit
in the councils Of The nation that ii youu"
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 Grevood as long rs the old lady lived /;
that the wife alone could divorce the husband,
and thGt ia the event Of their separation, the
children become the property Of tlleir mother;
and that The lord Of creation should be unable
to enter into the most ordinary contract, or 70
perform the simplest service for another, with
ont the sanction Of the lady superiority
were certainly indications ofiemale supremacy,
which il was passing strange TO li0d lit is to
be hoped for the first time aud the last in the
history Of discoveries amongst The dcujzens ol
Central Africa. Bat yet it must be allowed
that "tle reciprocity vas not only oa One
side" for, III return for the husbands Difference,
| his wives are expected 10 provide rim with
food This possibly may account for the fact
which onr friend states, that tha ladierney
| lack husband, and that an old maid Il not 70
be found from the Cape 10 the Equator,
Occasionally, however, there Will c0Wn Il
| hitch in their domestic arrangements: aud Willie
our trayclor supplies no instances Of rebellion
on the part OF tie husbands, he shows that CON
spiracy was not unusual amongst wives. II at
any time the former is so unfortunate rs 70 Of
fend tie ladies, they resolve TO woHnd him in
the most tender part--Stonach. Returning
home, therefore at the usual hour, be calls mp
on his first wife and asks for diuncr hnt Size
sends him TO a second "whombo loves beter;3
and she again to thrd, until he has rGa the
gauntlet through them all, and with the same
result. Having nothing left but TO aYrnge Lim.
self Of the wrong, faint and hungry, he climbs
a tree in some popaIons part Of his village, and
procams aloud with pitcous intouatoos
Iistcn, o, listen, thought had married wo.
men, but they arc only witches lam bach
clor ! have not single wife Is thatri2ht
for gentleman like me" But the ladies,
not always satisfied with showing their dispIoas.
ure in the negative form, will sometimes dare
to enforce thcir authority oyerthcr husbands
with cuffs aud blows This, however. is carry
ing matters q little too far, and the sentiment
being against such conduct, the sufferer gets
more substantial revenge ; for the authorities
Of the village then interfere, and his tyraHuic.
al wife is sentenced, for the assault, to carry
him upon her back from the Gotta, an enclosed
court of the chiefs premises. to his own house,
tented as she goes along, with the snccrs and
gibes Of men on the one hand but, alas on
the other, cheercd by the sympathy and by
such exhortatons as Serve himrght "Gye
it TO him again" from members Of her own gen
! tlp scy