224 AFRICAN POLITICAL SYSTEMS
IV. External Political Structure
Before discussing warfare as the predominant type of political relation between the tribes, I shall briefly review other types of inter-tribal relations, as they lead up to the formulation of the problem of warfare as a political problem.
Trade relations between the tribes were only weakly developed, as natural resources were fairly evenly distributed over the whole of Kavirondo and technical skill and knowledge were of such similarity in all the Bantu tribes that there was no incentive for a regular and organized exchange of goods. The occasional bartering of crops for live stock and of the products of certain crafts (pottery, iron-work, and ornaments) was too erratic to lead to the establishment of permanent political relations between the tribes on economic grounds.
Individuals who had gained repute as rain-makers, circumcision operators, diviners, or herbalists were consulted by clients from neighbouring and even hostile tribes and also called to other tribes to perform their services. Thus the Logoli sent frequent expeditions to the Nyole rain-maker whose powers were acknowledged by half a dozen other tribes. Such relations, however, are said to have been maintained during periods of truce only and, besides, were of such a nature that it was in the interest of both tribes concerned not to interfere with them by committing hostile acts to individual visitors from'neighbouring tribes. Specialists were called by members of a hostile tribe because their services were unobtainable within the tribe and they were therefore welcome visitors. Clients who went to consult experts in another tribe, likewise, were immune from attack, as they brought gifts to pay for the information that they received. I could obtain no records of any occasions at which such relations were abused, nor, however, is there any evidence to show that they ever led to a closer political alliance between the tribes concerned.
Intermarriage between generally hostile tribes was limited to the marriage of female war-captives, who were taken at an age of six to ten years and adopted into the family of the warrior who had captured them. When grown up, they were married off in 'he same way as physical daughters. Capture of adult women #as, according to information given by the old men, not at all or )nly exceptionally practised, as they would have acted as spies or