SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
421 
Two of the members in turns form a monthly commlflion, 
before which written evidence is produced by the attornies of 
the parties, and every information collected againft the full 
meeting of the Court, which is held once a fortnight. The 
doors are always fhut ; there is no oral pleading ; and the par- 
ties are entirely excluded. Decifion is pronounced upon the 
written and attefted documents that appear before them, and 
which, indeed, have been read by each member in the interval 
between the days of feffion. Were this not pradifed, fo great 
is the litigious difpofition of the people, they would not be able 
to go through the ordinary bufmefs. Forty or fifty caufes are 
fometimes difpatched in the Court in the courfe of one morn- 
ing ; and they hear none where the damages are not laid at a 
greater fum than 200 rix dollars or 40/, All fuits, under this 
amount, are decided in an inferior Court called the Court of 
Comm'iJJ'aries for trying petty caufes : in the country diftrid:s the 
Landroft and Hemraaden are empowered to give judgment in 
all cafes where the damages to be recovered do not exceed 150 
rix dollars or 30/. 
This 1 itigious fpirit in the people, who are moftly related one 
way or another, and who always addrefs each other by the name 
of coufm^ is encouraged by the attornies, who, in the Gape, 
may truly be called a neft of vermin fattening on the credulity 
of the people. To become a procureur it is by no means ne- 
ceffary to ftudy the law. Hence any bankrupt fhopkeeper, or 
reduced officer, or clerk in any of the departments, may fet up 
for an attorney. The bufinefs confifts in taking down depo- 
fitions in writing, and drawing up a ftate of the cafe for the 
3 exami- 
