KAFFIR OBSERVANCES. 
269 
of cattle and cows, meat, milk, and "scoff," 
(food) if only they remain faithful to him and 
obey his orders; and he generally concludes 
his address by some terrific picture of a chief 
in anger, and the certain ruin of those who 
oppose his sway. 
All around loudly applaud the oratorical 
effusions of their king, and the ceremony closes 
with the slaughter of more oxen presented by 
the chiefs, together with feasting, dancing, 
drinking, smoking, singing, and merry-making. 
As may be supposed, these seasons of tribal 
festivities, are, amongst the Kaffirs, what wakes 
and fairs are with us — periods in the history of 
the young, from which many can date their first 
and early demoralization, and where scenes of 
wanton immorality, vice, and sin are perpetrated 
and pursued. These feasts of circumcision are, 
consequently, as they at present exist in their 
abuse, most detrimental to morality and virtue 
amongst the Kaffirs ; for not only are the in- 
citements to vice then more profuse around 
them, but further, by a singular enactment of 
law, an indiscriminate intercourse and mingling 
together of the sexes is permitted, during the 
time of the circumcision ceremonial, i. e., thirty 
days, and at that time only. 
Their pertinacious tenacity to the observance 
of this, and other like rites, is, however, very 
