[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]

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WARFARE 225
forms into a single ï¬Åle, headed by a notable warrior or m‘-mlmrei,
and marches towards the spot where the ceremony is to take
place. As it approaches this place it perceives the oorresponding
procession of opponents coming towards it. Forthwith, one
of theleaders quickly issues orders, allotting to each man in
his own party one of those in the other group whom he is to
“ cover Then the leader of this other group does likewise, so
that every man in each company “ coversâ€ù one man of the
other, and is in turn " covered " by a third. If in any peace-
making ceremony the numbers of the opposing parties are
unequal, reinforcements are hastily summoned by the weaker
party until the numbers are even. Usually there are several
nimbmei on each side—though there is always one who acts as
leader-and particular care is taken that these shall be equally
matched. The parties having thus sighted each other, and these
orders having been issued, the men at the gongs begin to beat the
rhythm nerevailï¬Ås vaal, and the two groups advance to meet.
As they do so the men in each line continually hop and dodge
rapidly from side to side, trying all the time to keep, as far as
possible, covered from the enemy by their leader. This dodging
is carried out with great zest and agility, so that all the men in
each line look as though they were going to play leap-frog over
one another,. Whenever one line swerves a little to one side, 50
that they may shoot at the exposed flank of their opponents,
the latter swerve in the opposite direction, so that the men
composing it are still covered by their leader. While this dodging
and leaping is going forward, the men at the gongs keep an alert
eye on the proceedings, ready to abandon their posts and make
for shelter should any sign of trouble arise. After a time the
leader of the party to whom the small pig was given when the
overtures for peace were made, holds up one or more sprouting
c0co—nuts, These symbolize the pig or pigs which he and his
fellows propose to give to the men in the other party, the length
of the sprout indicating as usual the degree of the animal’s tusk
curvature. If the other party are satisï¬Åed with the value of the
animals, they sign for the gongs to stop beating, and those of
them who have killed a man go across to their former enemies,
and each gives an arrow or a cartridge to the brother or
other near relative of his victim, saying: “ Here is the arrow
(or cartridge) with which I intended to shoot you. Take
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