olO UGANDA AND THE EGYPTIAN SOUDAN.

can stand most stripes becomes the happy bridegroom.

If two men are suitors for a girl, and there is a difficulty in deciding between the rivals, they have a novel method of settling their claims. The fair lady has a knife tied to each forearm, so fixed that the blade of the knife projects below the elbow.

She then takes up a position on a log of wood, the young men sitting on either side with their legs closely pressed against hers, and three of the elders of the village are seated before the group as judges.

The girl then raising her arms, begins to lean forward, at the same time slowly pressing the knives into the thighs of her would-be husbands. The suitor who, in the opinion of the judges, best undergoes this trial of endurance wins the bride, whose first duty after marriage is to dress the wounds she has herself lovingly inflicted.

The moral character of the people is about as bad as it well can be. Murder is very common, thieving is an ordinary occupation ; they are untruthful, lazy, and unchaste, and can never be induced to work more than is absolutely necessary for bare existence. They never go about unarmed, and seem capable of making very little progress toward civilisation. They drink a great deal of native beer, but, except on the great feast days, they do not present the appearance of being a very joyful community.