56 NOTES ON SAVAGE LIFE, ETC. 



utes the culprit had bled to death. He accepted his death with 

 a dignified cahij, and, if an ex-tribesman, he could elect to be 

 killed by his own people. A wife's murder by her husband 

 might be sometimes condoned, though he could legally be put 

 to death by her relatives ; the condonation was not infrequently 

 granted in those cases where the woman had belonged to some 

 other tribe from whom she had originally been stolen. In all 

 cases it was the lex talionis which was enforced, and the fol- 

 lowing example which came under Austin's notice, may not 

 prove without interest. Two blackboys were attached to his 

 camp, and to the elder, about 15 years of age, he gave a gun. 

 They went away shooting one day, when the elder accidentally 

 shot the younger, who was walking behind, and killed him 

 The news spread like wildfire, and the other blacks immediately 

 wanted to kill the survivor, although the fact of its being a 

 pure accident was well known ; yet it was the law of a life for 

 a life. Austin naturally demurred, said it was not fair, that he 

 had determined to protect the boy, and warned them that if 

 they dared to use force or violence in getting him away, they 

 would have to take the consequences. They hung round the 

 camp for several days in considerable numbers, crying and 

 mourning for the deceased in the meantime. At last a few of 

 them came to Austin and expressed themselves as satisfied if 

 he would allow the boy to be speared " just a little bit," so as 

 not actually to kill him, and explained that it would be far 

 better for him to give them this permission than to run the 

 risk of letting the boy escape then, only to be speared to death 

 on some subsequent occasion. Austin thereupon talked the 

 matter over with his dusky protege, who willingly signified his 

 approval, considering, on the whole, that it was a very easy 

 "let off." Having informed the other blacks of his consent to 

 the boy being speared in the buttock, as they had themselves 

 suggested, Austin nevertheless gave them distinctly to under- 

 stand that he should be present at the infliction of the punish- 

 ment with his men and guns, and that if they even attempted 

 to do anything else than what they had promised, he would 

 let fire. When the time arrived, the blacks formed a circle 

 around him with the boy. Three of the former, fully armed 

 with their spears and accoutrements, stepped forwards into the 

 ring, placed the alleged delinquent in proper position, with one 

 leg much in advance of the other, and, resting a spear upon a 

 wommera held vertically against the hip, " jobbed" it through 



