20 AUGUST 1988, Page 24

A REMEDY FOR POLYGAMY

[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.")

SIR, — Your note in your issue of August 11th on the deliverance of the Bishops as to African converts with several wives, brought to my mind an anecdote which I remember reading many years ago, of a native convert with nine wives, who was told by the mis- sionary that he could not receive Christ- ian baptism if he had more than one wife. In about three months, he again presented himself as a candidate, saying that he was now duly qualified, being the husband of only one wife. On being asked how he had disposed of the other eight, he calmly replied that he had