180 GENERAL SIR CHAELES WARKEN, G.C.M.G., F.R.S., ON 



Nemesis or Providence, 



The existence of a Nemesis in one form or another seems to 

 pervade the minds of all mankind, whether of old or at the 

 present day. Probably Nemesis was originally the local god in 

 his early form, and was a beneficent character like our present 

 notion of Providence. But through the wiliness of man the 

 character of Nemesis has profoundly deteriorated amongst 

 primitive tribes at the present day, and at the hands of wizards 

 and sorcerers the lives of savages are rendered miserable. 



With the early Greeks, Nemesis was the personification of 

 justice (moral and divine), and was the distributor of fortune, 

 good and bad, and she seems to differ very slightly from 

 Providence. Whether as beneficent or malignant, Nemesis is 

 found over all the world, and brings the punishments that are 

 to be meted out for offences against the moral law planted in 

 the breasts of people. 



Owing to the power of Nemesis, there is as much law and 

 order in the desert as there is in the most civilized states of 

 Europe, but you must know the customs of the people to be 

 able to find it. 



1 give some instances of the power of Nemesis : — 



Whilst investigating the circumstances of the murder of 

 Professor Palmer, I was able to make use of Bedouin customs. 

 I knew that if a Bedouin, under examination, once stated the 

 truth, he could not again depart from it ; and consequently when 

 in reply to a question he said " I have said," it was a sign that it 

 was the truth he had spoken. I then marked all the passages 

 where he would give only one reply, and by putting all these 

 answers together I arrived at a narrative of the circumstances of 

 the murder, and eventually at the confession of the principal 

 murderers. When the murderers were arrested and tried, having 

 once admitted their guilt, they could not swerve from it, and to 

 the surprise of the Turkish (Egyptian) Court, which tried them, 

 they all confessed their guilt and were executed. 



A few years after this, about 1887, when Commissioner of 

 Police for London, I was in Ireland for a holiday, and staying 

 on the Lake of Killarney. I received a mysterious message 

 requesting me to go across the lake to interview some persons 

 who were wishful to talk to me about the murder of Professor 

 Palmer. I was strongly advised not to assent, but the ayes had 

 it, because I was impressed with the idea that Arab laws of 

 hospitality to strangers would hold good in Ireland, if I followed 

 them out ; and I committed myself to the care of an Unseen 



