cted from the actual facts of the proceeding;
but I think it probably has a superstitious origin. Although in
theory all the village pigs have been killed and given to the guests
at the big feast, there are always some left wandering in the bush,
which have not been caught. These pigs are, however, never used in the
purification ceremony, in which they always kill wild pigs only. It has
been suggested to me that a reason for this may be that, if they killed
village pigs, they would thereby advertise the fact that they had not
killed and distributed all their village pigs at the big feast; but
this hardly seems to be a satisfactory explanation. It clearly falls
to the ground as regards present intent if, as I was told, there always
is an unkilled residue of village pigs after a big feast. The practice
of killing wild pigs only would seem to associate itself with the fact
that pigs killed at this ceremony are eaten in the village itself,
for there seems to be no doubt that among the Mafulu people village
pigs are never eaten in their own village on ceremonial occasions;
and indeed it seems doubtful whether they are ever eaten there at all.

In fact, it appears to be a general custom in connection with all
ceremonial feasts to which outside guests are invited, to kill village
pigs only at the feast, and for these to be given to the guests to be
eaten by them in their own villages, and afterwards to have a second
feast, to which outside guests are not invited, and at which wild pigs
are killed, and eaten by the villagers themselves within the village.

The pig-killing is generally, and perhaps always, done in the morning.

It is thought by the Mafulu Fathers of the Mission as regards the
subsequent partial desertion of the village that, although it is only
partial, and although there is a practical reason for it, it is based
upon superstition, and is regarded by the people as being a formal
leaving of the village, pending its complete purification.

Plates 67 to 70 are reproductions of four photographs which Father
Clauser was good enough to give me, the two former ones having been
taken at the big feast held in the village of Amalala in the year 1909
and the two latter prior to and at a big feast held in the village
of Seluku.

I have thought it better to avoid the insertion of frequent, and
perhaps somewhat confusing, references to these plates in the body of
my notes upon the feast, and to take the plates separately,