192 VOYAGE TO THE 



alternately, and clipping the muscles of the legs and 

 arms with scissars. Isaacha Sando took pains to ex- 

 plain the manner in which this cruelty was performed, 

 putting his fingers to the muscles in imitation of a pair 

 of sheers, so that I could not be mistaken : besides, 

 other persons at Potsoong told me in answer to my 

 inquiry, for I was rather sceptical myself, that it was 

 quite true, and that they had seen a person expire 

 under this species of torture. However, lest it should 

 be thought I may have erred in attaching such cruelties 

 to a people apparently so mild and humane, I shall in- 

 sert some questions that were put to the Loo Chooans 

 out of Dr. Morrison's Dictionary, and their answers to 

 them respectively. 



" Do the Loo Choo people torture and interrogate 

 with the lash ? " " Yes." — " Do they examine by tor- 

 ture ? " " Yes." — " Do they give false evidence through 

 fear of torture?" "Yes." — "Are great officers of the 

 third degree of rank and upwards, who are degraded 

 and seized to be tried, subjected to torture ?" " No." — 

 " Is torture inflicted in an illegal and extreme degree ?" 

 " Not illegal." — " Do you torture to death the real 

 offender?" "Yes, sometimes." — "What punishment 

 do you inflict for murder ? " " Kill, by hanging or 

 strangulation"^' — "For robbery?" "The same." — 

 "For adultery?" ^''Banish to Patanjan" (probably 

 Pat-chong-chan, an island to the south-west of Typing- 

 san.) — "For seduction?" "The same." Minor of- 

 fences we were told were punished with a bambooing 

 or a flagellation with a rod. Crimes are said to be 

 few in number, and speaking generally there appears 

 to be very little vice in the people. 



* The words in italics were implied by signs. 



