is Mr. Morgans Account of the Amahdsa?. 



by the kino^. By these and similar methods the kraals of the 

 king are kept well stocked, and he is enabled to bestow gifts 

 upon those he may wish to conciliate or reward, or by whose 

 services he has been benefitted. The inferior chiefs nse the 

 same means to increase their wealth, but in these cases the king 

 is presented with a part of the acquired stock. 



Laws are unknown, the chiefs renderings judgment accordino^ 

 to their will, founded, however, upon custom. Most crimes 

 are compensated by a fine of cattle : the thief by this custom is 

 compelled to restore ten-fold to the person he has robbed. The 

 crime is only to be proved befoie and to the satisfaction of the 

 chief, when the execution of justice is committed to the party 

 aofgrieved, which instantly follows conviction. The chief him- 

 self has no power to lessen the mulct ; he may, however, and 

 generally does intercede for tlie culprit ; if successful, he .claim? 

 a reward for this iutercessjon. 



The more heinous crimes, such as adultery and murder, are 

 in like manner proved before the chief, and may be compensated, 

 but the party a;i-gricved fixes the price ; and also in this case 

 the chief stands between the parties as an intercessor. In cases 

 of murder, if the aggrieved person or any other should slay the 

 offender, he is subject to no fine. 



Women arc entirely in the power of the men to whom they 

 belong, and may even be put to death with impunity for any 

 crime committed by them. 



They are firm believers in witchcraft, and the punishment of 

 the wretch who is accused and found guilty of this offence is 

 extreme torture, or even death, and the whole community 

 anxiously assist in the execution of the sentence. Persons 

 accused of crimes arc generally present when the accusation is 

 made, and are permitted to defend themselves against the 

 charge, and they also receive tlie assistance of others to effect 

 this ; they discover great skill and ingenuity in the examination 

 and cross-examination of witnesses. 



This is not the case, however, when a charge of witchcraft, 

 or of an offence against the person of the king, is preferred. 

 This is made before a select council, and often the accused is 

 only apprised of it by those who are sent to execute the sentence; 

 which not unfrequently is death, or he is dragged away to a 

 torture that is worse, and generally terminates fatally — in both 

 cases the whole of the cattle of the accused offender is forfeited 

 to the King. 



iTo be continued.^ 



