The Eastern Congo 



to strike the neophytes on the hands and knees, after which 

 one of the delegates seizes a rod and drives them away 

 towards the glade, some thirty or forty metres distant from 

 the palisade. This anodyne performance is called Poboli. 

 When they manage at last to reach the glade, each one of 

 the neophytes is administered another stroke of the rod. 

 This flagellation is called Makwaho. 



Tattooing 



When the Ishumu, delegated to perform the initiation 

 rites, accompanied by the other elders, reaches the glade, 

 the neophytes are lined up blindfolded. The Ishumu, armed 

 with a small knife called soda proceeds, by small leaps 

 and bounds, towards the neophytes, and very skilfully makes 

 eight incisions on their skin, four to the right and four to 

 the left, shaped thus: ^ ^ Whilst this operation 

 lasts other Ishumu are fanning the chests of the neophytes 

 with feathers of the bird called Nasasa, whilst others, with 

 small boards, very flexible and revolving round a pivot, 

 imitate the flight of the sacred bird, the gongs meanwhile 

 being beaten en sourdine. It is supposed that the Nasasa 

 bird itself, with his bill, is making the incisions. 



This ceremony over, the neophytes cover themselves 

 with banana leaves, which serve as a dressing for their 

 wounds. They are then led back to the hut of the Ishumu, 

 retracing their steps through the door of the palisade. There, 

 they are given very severe instructions. They must in 

 particular keep the most absolute secret concerning the 

 Mambela, on pain of being put to death by poison. They 

 must believe that the agency was the sacred bird Nasasa, 

 whose flight they heard and whose wings they felt on their 



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