Each sovereign of any importance is supplied with similar guards, and the monarch of the Gold Coast, although not very powerful, was always accompanied by a bodyguard, weapon-bearers, overseers of his wives, and heralds: the latter, it seems, were individuals who, besides announcing his arrival, also served as his interpreters, for the king speaks to others, even to his subjects, only through interpreters. Whole hosts of musicians, and sometimes the entire train of his wives, accompanied him. The statements of Schweinfurth about the pomp and splendor of Munsa, sovereign of the Monbuttus, are similar: in Benin the wives of the mon arch constituted his armed bodyguard and executed his penal judgments. The same is the case in Dahomey. The palace, as in Dahomey and among. the Monbuttus, is frequently of great splendor. Some of these sovereigns are distinguished by ceremonies only at festivities, while in eyery-day life they associate with their subjects almost as though they were equals. Their incomes consist of fixed duties or of taxes and presents, the last not always voluntary. A sovereign without money has no power. Among many of the Atlantic nations at the death of the king perfect anarchy prevails until the new king—generally the son of the late king's sister, for royalty is also almost universally inherited by female lineage—has ascended the throne. We saw a similar usage in Polynesia (p. 201). Human sacrifices are often offered at the king's grave. The Mexicans and the Peruvians (pp. 228, 230) sacrificed human beings on all important occasions.
The king is supreme judge, commander-in-chief, in some places—for instance, among the Fulah—and also the highest priest. In several states his power is somewhat limited by the subordinate chiefs, who constitute the second rank in the state, and who are selected from relatives of the king. The third rank is composed of the wealthy merchants and mechanics; the fourth of the people; and the fifth of the slaves. A similar gradation of society is found among the western Fulah, but each grade has its own villages. The smiths are a caste set apart, and among the Bantu tribes and also among the Bambarras they elect the king; but in some tribes they are held in dishonor.
These classes have developed differently in different states: in some the power of the king has been weakened by them (Mandingoes, Sarrars, some of the Feloops, the tribes of the Gold Coast, etc.); in others he is absolutely supreme, as in Dahomey and among the Monbuttus; and in still others, though he possesses supreme power, he is guided by the nobility and the elders, who constitute his council, as in Hansa and in Bonin. Among the Volofs an annual court of censure, such as we have seen among the Caffirs (p. 31S), sits in judgment over him. The Krus arc governed by a council composed of the eldest member of each family—the family is here the unit of society—and by a second council formed of men from the people, besides which there are four chief officials.
Laws and Negroes are eloquent and skilful in the management of their lawsuits, the decision of which generally rests with the king. Everything is vouched by witnesses, and there are established penalties for almost every offence; even murder can be atoned by money, and thus blood-revenge may be escaped. Failure or inability to pay the fines is punished by slavery. Slavery is the usual mode of punishment, though mutilation, and sometimes death (often in very cruel forms), are inflicted. The punishment follows close upon the judgment. Avarice, which is a prevalent vice of the Negroes, has dictated many customs and laws; it also renders the judges open to bribes. On the Gold Coast a creditor unable to collect from his debtor may take by force the equiva lent of the debt from a third person, and leave the latter to recoup his loss from the delinquent debtor. In some Negro states there is a capable police force, but usage, everywhere so powerful, is the best police.
Oaths and Negroes see in every misfortune only the consequences of witchcraft, and therefore oaths, especially oaths of puri fication, are frequent. They adjure a god or a magician to punish them if they lie (see p. i66). Ordeals are numerous, and consist in drinking poison, touching some red-hot substance, swimming across rivers full of crocodiles, etc. Of the secret societies, which act as executioners of justice, we will treat on page 34S, and merely remark here that the bodyguard of the king of the Ashantees forms a league of the faithful who would sooner die than leave their master.
calSons and II are frequent and fierce. Let us first consider the weapons—bows and arrows, spears, and a peculiar missile, the trumbash—a name originating in Sennaar, but used in Soudan (Schwein furth).
Bows and arrows, although not found among the Niam-Niam, the Dinkas, and the Nuers, were, together with the spear, the most important arms of the Negroes in ancient times. We find them among the Atlantic peoples, the Fulah, the Mandingoes (ol. 91, fig. 4), in Central Africa among the Bornuese 92, fig. 6; pl. 93, fig. 5), in Eastern Africa among the Bari Negroes (pM. SS, fig. 19; pl. 94, fig. 4) and the Akkas (Al. 97, fig. 4). Generally both bows and arrows are very large, and the points of the arrows, which differ in the different nations, are frequently poisoned. The quivers are variously decorated (pl. 93, fig. 5, to the right; fi/. 94, fig. 4, to the left).
Kordofan the spears are poisoned. The points, fastened to very long handles, also show a great variety of form, sometimes long (P. 92, fig. 2), sometimes shorter, spatula- or arrow-shaped, barbed (151. 93, 5), or straight (1.1. 91, figs. 7, 8;151. 93, 6; pl. 94, fig. 4; pl. 96, fig. 2 ; p1. 97, fig. 4, 5; 121. 99, fig. 2).