NOTES ON SOME CUSTOMS OF THE

LOWER CONGO PEOPLE.

BY JOHN H. WEEKS.

(Read at Meeting, 16th December, 1908.)

THE following notes refer more particularly to San Salvador and its neighbourhood, but they are not confined solely to that district. The customs here dealt with will be found in vogue over the whole of the Lower Congo, having regard, of course, to local colouring and conditions. For example, the ingredients that go to make a charm in one place may not all be found in another, as some ingredients may be replaced by others. In one part of the country, gunpowder, being easily procurable and being mysterious in its action, is largely used to rouse their fetishes to activity, whereas in another part where gunpowder is difficult to procure and consequently very expensive, the rattle and whistle used vigorously are employed as substitutes. Again, in the sixteenth century the Roman Catholic Portuguese were dominant in San dominant in San Salvador and its neighbourhood, and as a result you will find in that district the cross used as a fetish, and the sign of the cross as a charm. In other parts, where the influence of the Roman Catholics never penetrated, the cross is never thus used, and is not known.

The people of the Lower Congo are Bantu and speak,

NOTES ON SOME CUSTOMS OF THE

LOWER CONGO PEOPLE.

BY JOHN H. WEEKS.

(Read at Meeting, 16th December, 1908.)

THE following notes refer more particularly to San Salvador and its neighbourhood, but they are not confined solely to that district. The customs here dealt with will be found in vogue over the whole of the Lower Congo, having regard, of course, to local colouring and conditions. For example, the ingredients that go to make a charm in one place may not all be found in another, as some ingredients may be replaced by others. In one part of the country, gunpowder, being easily procurable and being mysterious in its action, is largely used to rouse their fetishes to activity, whereas in another part where gunpowder is difficult to procure and consequently very expensive, the rattle and whistle used vigorously are employed as substitutes. Again, in the sixteenth century the Roman Catholic Portuguese were dominant in San Salvador and its neighbourhood, and as a result you will find in that district the cross used as a fetish, and the sign of the cross as a charm. In other parts, where the influence of the Roman Catholics never penetrated, the cross is never thus used, and is not known.

The people of the Lower Congo are Bantu and speak,

Bihe in the south to Landana in the north, and from Banana in the west to Stanley Pool in the east.

San Salvador is about 80 miles from Ennoki, which is on the south bank of the Congo River, about 95 miles from its mouth. It is a town situated on a plateau some 1700 feet above the sea. It is known to the natives as Kongo, but to distinguish from two or three other Kongos, e.g. Kongo dia Mpalalbala and Kongo di' Elemba, it is called Kongo dia Ntotela, i.e. the King's Kongo, as it has from time immemorial been the residence of the king of the country. Sometimes it is called Kongo dia Ngunga, i.e. the Kongo of the Bell, probably because the Roman Catholic priests had a large bell there, which was rung in connection with their services.

In collecting these notes I have been greatly helped by Nlemvo, an educated native of a town near San Salvador, who has paid two visits to England.

It is not a hard and fast rule, but it is a rule very generally followed, for the sons and daughters of one clan to marry only the daughters and sons of one other clan, and not to intermarry with several different clans. By thus intermarrying within the limits of one clan they think better treatment is ensured for the women of each clan.

A man must not marry the wives of his father; or his own children; or his sister; or his cousin on his mother's side; or the children of his sister; or his grandchildren; or his mother-in-law; or his wife's sister, either before or after his wife's death; or his niece's step-mother (for she has been called the niece's mother); or his step-sister, for by the marriage of his father to his step-sister's mother they have become brother and sister. Among those not within the degree of prohibition are,-the child of one's cousin, i.e. second cousins, the daughter of your daughter, ie. your grand-daughter (the reason for this being that

Observing the above limitations a young man wanting to marry is not restricted in his choice to women of his own town or clan, but is free to select whom he likes. Having set his heart on a certain girl, the young man is not allowed to speak to her or make her any presents. To gain his sweetheart the first thing he has to do is to take a calabash of palm wine to the girl's maternal uncle (ngudi a nkazi), and tell him what is in his heart. If the uncle listens favourably to the suit, he thanks the young man for the wine, and drinks it. This does not pledge him in any way to give him his niece in marriage, but is simply a sign of good-will. Having drunk the wine he goes into his house and brings out food and drink for the young man, and without giving him a decided answer tells him to return on a certain day.

On the appointed day the young man, carrying some palm wine, revisits the girl's uncle, who having drunk the wine states whether he is willing for him to marry his niece or not. Should he be willing, he informs the aspirant to his niece's hand that he wants 1000, or 2000, or 5000 packets of blue pipe beads, (in a packet there. being 100 strings of 100 beads each). When the uncle is informed that the marriage price is ready, either in beads or their equivalent in goats, pigs, sheep, etc., he takes some palm wine and visits the town of the young man to count out the marriage money. That being done, a day is fixed for introducing the girl's father to the young man, and on that day both uncle and father take calabashes of palm wine to the young man, who calls his friends, and all drink first the uncle's wine and then the father's, after which they discuss the marriage money and the father takes the portion due to him.

So far as the uncle, father, and young man are concerned the marriage arrangements are completed, but they cannot be consummated until the mother gives