A special beast is killed for her, and the first cut, viz.:—A slice from between the right shoulder and the ribs is reserved for her use. No one is allowed to use the meat before her share is removed. On the tenth day she covers up her face and goes to her home, preceded by her nurse. Sour milk (a sort of Koumis) is poured out for her. She drinks some, gargles her throat and spits it out on to some dry cowdung. Her nurse follows suit and then runs out, calling out “So and so has drunk milk, so and so has drunk milk.” The second stage, that of rejoicing and, sad to relate, general immorality then commences. The friends are called together and the girls now “Intonyani,” dress themselves in fantastic fashion in reeds, go through wild dancing with much feasting and dancing and excitement. Then follow orgies impossible in civilization. The old people go to their huts, content to leave these newly fledged maidens and the youths of the gathering to spend the night together. Free love becomes the order of the day. Complete connection is not supposed to take place, and should a girl conceive as a result, the reputed father may be forced to marry her, and pay a fair premium “lobola” to the father. This is not, however, essential, a fine often being accepted. During the few days of this “Intonyane” festival the “Intonyanis” go about from kraal to kraal. It is now the custom of the mothers to lay their scared infants on the ground for the girls to jump over them, thus performing “Umtshopi” i.e. charming away sickness. After their ceremonies all the articles including dress, hut, fork, mat, &c., &c., of the “Intonyane” used during the ceremony must be burned. Circumcision “Ubukweta” is universally practised amongst the Bantus. Its origin is lost in antiquity, and it is held by many as proof that the Bantu is the descendant of peoples, who emigrated from central Asia and are allied to the Jewish nations. This rite is performed on the boys at puberty, and is partly civil, in that it introduces boys to the rights of manhood; and partly religious in that it imposes on them the responsibility of conforming to all the rights and ceremonies of their superstition. It is performed by one of the old men of the tribe by cutting. The instrument used being by no means sharp; but the wish to be, or appear a man, prevents signs of suffering. The hemorrhage is stopped by application of astringent juices mixed with clay; or in some tribes by winding from the point of the glans up round the penis a long strip of pliable goat skin, which article is afterwards much valued and carefully preserved.