CIRCUMCISION 331 



responsiveness to simple facts, of which his elders 

 are seldom capable, and which he himself will lose 

 ere many years have passed over his head. 



Among neither the Wa-Sena nor the Wa- 

 Nyungwe is circumcision practised, whilst the 

 Wa-Chuabo of Quelimane and the A-Mahindo of 

 the Zambezi delta invariably perform it. There 

 are thus among the two latter tribes initiation 

 ceremonies for the young people of both sexes not 

 unlike those practised among the Yaos and other 

 Mohammedan races. 



In some cases the rite is performed at an early 

 age — five or six, perhaps — but, more generally, 

 shortly after the age of puberty, namely, fourteen 

 or thereabouts. A number of youths then assemble 

 in a grass house, some distance from the nearest 

 village, which is called a Muali. Here they remain 

 several weeks in charge of a native doctor and 

 one or two elderly men, receiving instruction in 

 manliness, as well as considerable information re- 

 lative to their duties as husbands. I have been 

 informed that the place in which the operation is 

 performed is a grass shelter which in Nyasaland 

 would be called a M'sassa, * but which is known as 

 a Muali (that for girls being Mapuru). It is about 

 thirty yards long, but only about a quarter of that 

 length is waUed on both sides. A small hut close 

 by is provided for the use of the doctor and his 

 assistant, whilst goats and chickens are kept in pens 

 for the use of the boys. 



It is said that, when all is ready for the perform- 



* This as a rule is situated at a short distance from the Muali, hut 

 sometimes forms part of it. 



