LIVINGSTONE'S ADDRESSES. 219 



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 

 paying 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 

 sentenced 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. 



There is no stated day of rest in any part of this country, 

 except the day after the appearance of the new moon, 

 and the people then refrain only from going to their 

 gardens. A curious custom, not to be found among the 

 Bechuanas, prevails among the black tribes beyond them. 

 They watch most eagerly for the first glimpse of the new 

 moon, and, when they perceive the faint outline after the 

 sun has set deep in the west, they utter a loud shout of 

 " Kua ! " and vociferate prayers to it. My men, for 

 instance, called out, " Let our journey with the white 

 man be prosperous ! Let our enemies perish, and the 

 children of Nake become rich ! May he have plenty of 

 meat on this journey ! " &c. &c. 



I gave many public addresses to the people of Sesheke 

 under the outspreading camel-thorn tree, which serves as 

 a shade to the kotla on the high bank of the river. It 

 was pleasant to see the long lines of men, women, and 

 children winding along from different quarters of the 

 town, each party following behind their respective head- 

 men. They often amounted to between five and six hun- 

 dred souls, and required an exertion of voice which brought 

 back the complaint for which I had got the uvula excised 

 at the Cape. They were always very attentive ; and 

 Morian.tsane, in order, as he thought, to please me, on one 

 occasion rose up in the middle of the discourse, and hurled 

 his star! at the heads of some young fellows, whom he saw 



