l6l ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE. 



for one who has spent many years in the thirsty south. 

 Standing on one bank, even the keen eye of the natives 

 cannot detect whether two large islands, a few miles east 

 of the junction, are mainland or not. 



After spending one night at the Makololo village on 

 Mparia, we left the Chobe, and, turning round, began to 

 ascend the Leeambye; on the 19th of November we again 

 reached the town of Sesheke. It stands on the north bank 

 of the river, and contains a large population of Makalaka, 

 under Moriantsane, brother-in-law of Sebituane. There 

 are parties of various tribes here, assembled under their 

 respective head-men, but a few Makololo rule over all. 

 Their sway, though essentially despotic, is considerably 

 modified by certain customs and laws. 



The following circumstance, which happened here when 

 I was present with Sekeletu, shows that the simple mode 

 of punishment by forcing a criminal to work out a fine did 

 not strike the Makololo mind until now. 



A stranger, having visited Sesheke for the purpose of 

 barter, was robbed by one of the Makalaka of most of his 

 goods. The thief, when caught, confessed the theft, and 

 that he had given the articles to a person who had removed 

 to a distance. The Makololo were much enraged at the 

 idea of their good name being compromised by this treat- 

 ment of a stranger. Their customary mode of punishing 

 a crime which causes much indignation is to throw the 

 criminal into the river; but, as this would not restore the 

 lost property, they were sorely puzzled how to act. The 

 case was referred to me, and I solved the difficulty by pay- 

 ing for the loss myself and sentencing the thief to work 

 out an equivalent with his hoe in a garden. This system 

 was immediately introduced, and thieves are now sen- 

 tenced to raise an amount of corn proportioned to their 

 offences. Among the Bakwains, a woman who had stolen 

 from the garden of another was obliged to part with her 

 own entirely : it became the property of her whose field 

 was injured by the crime. 



