60 PUNISHMENT FOR THEFT. 



real Eastern cunning, obtained a present from us on 

 the plea of his going to Abasha with me. On the 

 near approach of our departure he intimated, in reply 

 to our asking him if he were ready, that when he 

 said he was going to Abasha he meant to Gondar, 

 and not with me to Shoa; and seemed highly pleased 

 at having thus outwitted Mr. Cruttenden, who sup- 

 posed that by Abasha, Ohmed meant to say that he 

 was to accompany me to Shoa. Of course, under 

 our circumstances, Mr. Cruttenden could only take 

 this deception in good part ; but in the evening, 

 Ohmed and a good number of the principal men 

 being in our place, Mr. Cruttenden commenced the 

 conversation by asking Cassim, if there were justice 

 to be procured in Taj our ah % "Of course; cer- 

 tainly. Do we not profess Islamism?" was the 

 prompt and almost offended reply. " Then how do 

 you punish theft %" asked Mr. Cruttenden. "Oh," 

 replied Cassim, " we drag the thief down to the 

 beach, and haul him about in the sea-water till his 

 stomach is quite full, we then drag him along the 

 sand till he throws it up again ; after that, we kill an 

 ox, eat him, and make the thief pay for it ; and he 

 then is received into society again." This was too 

 amusing a relation not to be interpreted to me by 

 the kindness of Mr. Cruttenden, who postponed 

 the application of the reason of his inquiry, to the 

 deceit practised upon him by Ohmed, for the pur- 

 pose of enjoying with me this account of the wild 

 justice of the Dankalli. 



