INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 77 
palaver on a very extraordinary occasion, which I attended ; 
and the debates on both sides of the question displayed much 
ingenuity. The case was this. A young man, a Kafir, of 
considerable affluence, who had recently married a young 
and handsome wife, applied to a very devout Bushreen, or 
Mussulman priest, of his acquaintance, to procure him sa- 
phies for his protection during the approaching war. The 
Bushreen complied with the request ; and in order, as he pre- 
tended, to render the saphies more efficacious, enjoined the 
young man to avoid any nuptial intercourse with his bride for 
the space of six weeks. Severe as the injunction was, the Kafir 
strictly obeyed ; and without telling his wife the real cause, 
absented himself from her company. In the mean time it began 
to be whispered at Teesee, that the Bushreen, who always per- 
formed his evening devotions at the door of the Kafir's hut, 
was more intimate with the young wife than he ought to be. 
At first, the good husband was unwilling to suspect the honour 
of his sanctified friend, and one whole month elapsed before 
any jealousy rose in his mind ; but hearing the charge repeated, 
he at last interrogated his wife on the subject, who frankly con- 
fessed that the Bushreen had seduced her. Hereupon the Kafir 
put her into confinement, and called a palaver upon the Bush- 
reen's conduct. The fact was clearly proved against him ; and 
he was sentenced to be sold into slavery, or to find two slaves 
for his redemption, according to the pleasure of the complain- 
ant. The injured husband, however, was unwilling to proceed 
against his friend to such extremity, and desired rather to have 
him publicly flogged before Tiggity Sego's gate. This was 
