Life at Banza Nokki. 223 
the seller of every fowl: ” apparently it is now 
obsolete. Finally, although the Fetish man may 
be wrong, the fetish cannot err. If a contretemps 
occur, a reason will surely be found ; and, should 
the “ doctor ” die, he has fallen a victim to a rival 
or an enemy more powerful than himself. 
A striking institution of the Congo region is 
that of the Jinkemba, which, curious to say, is un¬ 
noticed by Tuckey. It is not, however, peculiar to 
the Congo ; it is the “ Semo” of the Susus or 
Soosoos of the Windward Coast, and the “ Purrah” 
of the Sherbro-Balloms or Bulloms, rendered 
Anglice by “ free-masonry.” The novitiate there 
lasts for seven or eight years, and whilst the boys 
live in the woods food is placed for them by their 
relations : the initiation, indeed, appears to be espe¬ 
cially severe. Here all the free-born males are sub¬ 
jected to the wrongly called “ Mosaic rite.” Me- 
rolla tells us that the wizards circumcise children 
on the eighth day (like the Jews), not out of re¬ 
gard for the law, but with some wicked end and 
purpose of their own. At any time between the 
ages of five and fifteen (eight to ten being generally 
preferred), boys are taken from their parents (which 
must be an exceeding comfort to the latter), and 
for a native year, which is half of ours, they must 
dwell in the Vivala ya Ankimba, or Casa de 
Feiti^o, like that which we passed before reaching 
Banza Nokki. They are now instructed by the 
