86 EXPEDITION INTO 



inhuman mutilator of her that g"a,ve him birth ! The ties of 

 consang-uinit}^ availed nothing* with this inhuman tyrant. A 

 sig'n given by the fatal pointing* of his blood-stained fing'er^ 

 or the terrible declination of his head^ must be promptly 

 obeyed ', and if^ after the perpetration of the revolting* deed, 

 the feeling's of violated nature should predominate, and 

 manifest themselves to this fiend in human form, the party 

 was ordered for instant despatch, either by impalement, by 

 havino* the neck twisted, or beino* stoned or beaten to death 

 with sticks. The kith and kin of the wretched victim likewise 

 shared his fate j his property being* also seized and distri- 

 buted among-st the warriors. Neither was any reason as- 

 sig-ned for the murderous decree, until it was too late to 

 recal the fiat of execution ; the devoted subject frequently 

 thankino- his savag-e monarch whilst he was undero-oino- the 



o o Do 



sentence that had been thus iniquitously passed on him. 



To this enviable state of thing's, there succeeded a dread- 

 ful lull, which may fitly be compared to that which inter- 

 venes between the first and last shock of an earthquake — 

 when all are in consternation, fearing* that the next moment 

 they may be swallowed during* the devastating* convulsion. 

 This pause from war and sang'uinary executions, was de- 

 voted to the superstitious ceremony of appeasing* the manes 

 of the departed, and quieting* the apprehensions of the 

 living*, by g-reat sacrifices of oxen, and by distributions of 

 the property of the murdered among*st the executioners. 



Amongst barbarous tribes, it is a common custom super- 

 stitiously to contend that their chiefs cannot die naturally ; 

 that they are destined to live until they fall in battle : and 

 that death, proceeding- either from ag'e or disease, is occa- 

 sioned by the '^ working- of the wizard." This sang-uinary 

 superstition Avas carried to the fullest extent by Chaka, who 

 uniformly, on the death of a chief, endeavoured to discover 

 those who possessed the charm by the test of their being* 



