Bi:i!RY — Till' Sierra Lmne Cannibals. 37 



the Poro meant the immediate cessation of hostilities and the compulsory sub- 

 mission of the matter at issue to the arbiti-ation of the heads of the Poro 

 society. Its worldugs are secret : and so well are its secret-s preserved that the 

 rising of 1898 was not even thought of until it broke out. 



like every other secret society, the Poro has its ritual for entrance and 

 exit, its signs and passwords. A candidate has to be accompanied by one who 

 is ali-eady initiated, who acts as sponsor for him. They approach the entrance 

 to the Poro bush, which is covered by a mat hung between two poles, which 

 are generally decorated. Behind the mat stands an official, who is called 

 Tandiboo, or fine-neck. The candidate having been prepared and the entrance 

 reached, the sponsor hammers the mat with one strong blow, followed after a 

 short lapse by three other blows in quick succession. Yandiboo, hearing the 

 signal, lifts the mat and looks out, when he is given the password ■'' Xdoinge,' 

 meaning ■' mother of children."' The mat is then allowed to fall ; and when he 

 looks out again, the candidates are bowed to the ground, and as a sign they 

 touch the earth four times with the bent hand. The Tandiboo then speaks 

 the word " Shote," and the sponsor answers " Ifamore," after which they are 

 admitted, 



TTie following description of rhe ceremony of initiation into the adult Poro 

 was given to me by the Piev. A. E. Greensmith, who is one of the few white 

 men who have been admitted to the Poro. Dm-ing the first three days the 

 candidates are at hberty to go throughout the '• Kaniila," that is, the whole 

 bush. On the thii'd day they are marked with an inverted Y-shaped sign ; 

 starting on the spine between the shoulders marks are cut across the spine 

 one below the other, until well below the shoidder-blades, when they splay 

 out across the back and round the sides. The candidates kneel on the gi'ound ; 

 the flesh is picked up with a fish-hook and cut with a knife or hot iron spike, 

 wrapped in medicine, and palm oil is appKed to the woimds. Immediately after 

 recei\'ing the Poro mark, the Poro devil is revealed to the candidates. The devil 

 was brought to the midst of the space where the candidates were assembled 

 in the following manner. Two men came running towards the candidates 

 with a country cloth spread out between them, from behind which squeaky 

 reed music was heard. As soon as they arrived in the midst of the space 

 where the candidates were, the cloth was dropped and a man was re\ealed. 

 This man is the Poro devil or " Poi Yaffi," also called " Ungoi " by the Mendi 

 and " Banika " by the Temne. Xo dress was worn by the devil, and apparently 

 no special di'ess is worn by him at any time. The sectional devils have very 

 elaborate di-esses. 



The devilship descends from father to son. The candidates ai-e circumcised 

 bv the Poro desil with an ordinary knife, but amongst the Angass of Nigeria 



