After the supplication there is a great dance in honour of the god. The people throw up water towards the heavens as a sign that it is water that is prayed for. They also smear their bodies with mud or charcoal to show that they want “washing”. If rain do not come they must wash themselves in the rivers or streams. If rain fall, they are soon washed in answer to their prayers. When the good crop follows, they present as a thanksgiving the first heads of maize and some pumpkins. Before they begin to eat the maize themselves some of the cobs are roasted and offered under the prayer tree (4). In smaller crops, as beans, there is no special offering. In the South of Africa the power of rain-making has been claimed completely by the rain-doctors. Even here the sorcerers have a great power. Still the chief maintains what we think must have been his prerogative in the earliest times. Does this not shew that these races are a stage nearer the primitive manners than in the South where such a priesthood has been developed? DREAMS afford another occasion for offerings (41). THE NATURE OF THE OFFERINGS. GENERAL OFFERINGS. 21.—THE NATIVE FLOUR. Of the ordinary offerings to the gods (which are just the ordinary food of the people), flour is the commonest. The natives eat it themselves in the form of porridge, but they never present it thus to the spirits except on the day of a person’s death, or by special request. This offering, though common, is not made ready without a great deal of trouble. The poor native woman seems to be occupied at milling flour from morning to night. The process is like this—First, she takes corn from the cob, puts it into a mortar with some water, and begins pounding to remove the husks (maseta). These are separated by sifting (kupeta). She next puts the husked grain (msokolo) again in the mortar, and does as before. By this time all the husks are off. After this the corn is steeped in water for some time, when it is called mlowe. This she puts into a mortar without water, and pounds again. When the third pounding is finished, she resorts to another process of sifting (kusenyenda) and obtains flour, which may be broken down to any degree of fineness by repeated pounding. Many harder portions (lusenga) need pounding again. This native flour is given to the spirits (misimu) either quite dry or with a little water stirred into it. 22.—NATIVE BEER. The beer is made from maize or millet (D).