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patrilineal and matrilineal people. Captain Izard has stated that formerly there was no other form of marriage than that by exchange, but this is clearly incorrect, as the whole of the social system is based on the dual form of marriage [28] . Captain Heath reports that the Mambila are wholly patrilineal. It is very easy to be misled in these matters, as tribes which still adhere to matrilineal practices or even to some of their matrilineal customs are averse to admitting that they do so. The reasons are obvious. They think that a claim by a man on his sister's children will be construed by the Government as an infringement of the laws against slavery, for during the Fulani régime a man could sell his sister's child[29] 1 into slavery in order to redeem himself. Under the British régime, therefore, we usually find that (a) matrilineal or semi-matrilineal peoples are forced to abandon their customs as regards the custody of children, as the father will threaten an action in court if the children are taken from him, and (b) that the exchange system of marriage is automatically dropped, as girls will threaten a court action if they are forced to marry against their will.

The Mambila have accommodated themselves to the new conditions (i) by abandoning marriage by exchange, and (ii) by making it optional whether the offspring of a marriage by purchase join their mother's group or not. [30] Formerly the offspring of a marriage by exchange inherited property patrilineally, while the offspring of a marriage by purchase inherited matrilineally. Now that marriage by purchase is the only form of marriage inheritance should be wholly matrilineal, but there is a tendency towards revising this rule. For it is iluld inherit from his maternal uncle if he has lived with his father and has rendered no services to his maternal uncle.[31]

The following account of the former system of marriage will assist in making the position clearer.

(a) Marriage by exchange. In this form of marriage two men agree to exchange as wives one of their female relatives.

When the arrangement has been made one of the men invites the other to his house, having made preparations to celebrate the occasion. The host introduces his friend to the girl and the young couple become friendly. A few days later the other man likewise invites his friend to come to his house to meet his future

1If his sister had been married under the bride-price system.

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