sultan's daughter possessed. 105 
admitted." No persuasion could avail with them, and 
the party had to proceed to the next village. 
Three stones, placed in a triangular form, surrounded 
the dwelling-house of the sultan of Ukuni, and within 
them it was believed no harm could ever happen to 
him, even if a gun were fired at him. One of our men 
sitting on one of these stones, jumped off, as if stung, 
on being told of the sacred character of the place. 
The ceremony of driving out an evil spirit, or 
"Phepo," is elaborate and curious. The sultan sits at 
the doorway of his hut, which is decorated with lion- 
paws. His daughter, the possessed, is opposite him, 
completely hooded, and guarded by two Watusi women, 
one on each side, holding a naked spear erect. The 
sultana completes the circle. Pombe is spirted up in 
the air so as to fall upon them all. A cow is then 
brought in with its mouth tightly bound up, almost 
preventing the possibility of breathing, and it is evi- 
dent that the poor cow is to be the sacrifice. One 
spear -bearer gives the animal two gentle taps with a 
hatchet between the horns, and she is followed by the 
woman with the evil spirit and by a second spear- 
bearer, who also tap the cow. A man now steps for- 
ward, and with the same hatchet kills the cow by a 
blow behind the horns. The blood is all caught in a 
tray (a Kaffir custom) and placed at the feet of the 
possessed, after which a spear-bearer puts spots of the 
blood on the women's forehead, on the root of the neck, 
the palms of the hands, and the instep of the feet. He 
spots the other spear-bearers in a similar manner, and 
the tray is then taken by another man, who spots the 
sultan, his kindred, and household. Again the tray is 
carried to the feet of the possessed, and she spots with 
