570 INITIATION RITES OF THE I:API:[)T. 



Sa Ntloa niahura! — Of the Ntloa niahura..""' 



Ba godi hasona — They who catch them. 



Ra gold ra tslia Islia — We catch them and grease. 



Ra tsha tsha le naka — And grease the horn. 



Naka la morolo — The horn of the kndn. 



La morolo tona — Of a kudu bull. 



Tholo (ja dilcme — Kudus do not know how to curve, i 



Di no tlatlaretsha — The}^ only mix them up. 



Di ctshc Icshilo — They do it like a fool. 



La noka fslic kgoio — Of the big river 



Odi le otshaiia — The \"aal and the Little Yaal. 



Bana ba mosadi — The children of one woman. 



When lesson time is over, the Aliditi give the order to 

 dress. The Badikaiia then assume their Miijahclo (aprons). 

 This done, the Midili strike the boys across the throat with 

 sticks in order to " break " their voices ( or, as they express it. 

 " to give them men's voices "') ! The Initiates are then ordered 

 to point out the Moroka pida (= Rain maker, the honour name 

 given to the Rabadia). 



The next order is " Gen! Geii !" This means that the party 

 is to spread out in two sections, one to the right, the other to 

 the left, after the well-known manner of a Zulu impi, those 

 leading the left wing bearing gradually to the right, those in 

 front of the right wing bearing to the left, until the leaders 

 meet, thus forming a complete circle. When this is effected 

 they all act as beaters, driving the game which has been sur- 

 rounded before them towards the centre. In this way they 

 kill quite a number of hares and small game. If any animal 

 escapes, the Badikaiia at that point in the ring where it broke 

 through are severely punished. 



Sometimes a coney hunt is organised. Their method is 

 to send dogs into the holes and crevices in the rocks and drive 

 them out; or else they use long pointed sticks, by means of 

 which they probe their hiding-places until they feel the " give," 

 or the movement of an animal, when they rapidly twist the stick, 

 pressing it against the unfortunate little creature, thus gaining 

 a grip on the skin, enabling them to i)ull it out. The skins of 

 coneys obtained during these hunts are the special perquisite of 

 the Chief, and are carefully collected and stored. They are 

 used for making karosses. 



As long as the Initiation rites last the Badikana are not 

 allowed to use their ordinary names. Thus, if they address 

 one another, or if called by one of the Moditi, the form used 

 would be " Elc bya!" (Is it the witch?), and the acknowledg- 

 ment would be: '' Lie byona'/' (It is the witch). Another way 

 of attracting attention is by whistling. 



After hunting in the afternoon, the Badikana and Midiii 



*i\',loa malmra ^ a species of termite or flying ant. 

 t Le., their horns. 



