MONBUTTU PEDIGREES. 205 A-Zandé as well as the Monbuttu make a great point of direct descent (on the father’s side, of course), it was pretty easy to get to the bottom of the matter.

The great Monbuttu chiefs are as follows:—Yangara, Degberra’s son; Gambari, a usurper; Kadabd, ditto; Sanga, surnamed “the little” by the Arabs, who is one of Munza’s nephews, and Sanga, ‘‘the great,” one of Munza’s brothers. Besides these there is quite a number of smaller chiefs.

As already indicated, both Gambari and Kadabé are not entitled to their present positions, especially as the legitimate heirs are living. In Kadabo’s case, however, this legitimate heir is not a very able man, and as his territory is occupied by Momyt and not by Monbuttu, he might with propriety be allowed to hold his place during good conduct. With Gambari it is quite different; for, prudent yet perfidious, he has learnt all the tricks and underhand practices of the Danagla, and whilst obsequious and ingenuous in appearance, the meshes of his intrigues have been drawn over the whole of the country. That he is not thought much of in the upper circles of Monbuttu society is proved by the fact that even at the present day, after having been many years in possession, he dare not sit down in the presence of Yangara or Sanga without their inviting him to do so. Naturally he tries to revenge himself for his false position by all sorts of wicked tricks, and it is quite possible that the time is not so very far distant when, for the sake of the general peace, his removal will become necessary.

Of the two Sangas, the one is the son of Muapa, Munza’s eldest brother, the other is Munza’s younger brother, both of them, therefore, legitimate chiefs belonging to the family of Eru; while Yangara, whose numerous brothers (Kupa, Benda, Bondu, &c.) have been removed, descends through his father from the family of Ndula, and may also be considered as of pure blood. This ancestor, Ndula, had remained on the other side of the Kibali, but had given his daughter, Degberra’s sister, and a renowned beauty, to Nabimbali, the son of Manziggi, and brother of Tukuba (Munza’s father), thereby founding the relationship between the two principal lines.

The rulers of the country do not levy regular taxes, but the