184 
ADMINISTRATION OP JUSTICE. 
for ono who has spent many years in the thirsty south. 
Standing on ono bank, even the keen eye of tho natives 
cannot dotoct whether two largo islands, a fow miles oast 
of tho junction, are mainland or not. 
After spending ono night at the Makololo villago on 
Mparia, we loft tho Chobo, and, turning round, began to 
ascend tho Leeambye; on tho 19th of November we again 
reached tho town of Scsheko. It stands on the north bank 
of the river, and contains a largo population of Mukalaka 
under Moriantsano, brother-in-law of Sobituano. There 
are parties of various tribes hero, assembled under thoix 
respective hoad-mon, but a few Makololo rule over all. 
Their sway, though essentially despotic, is considerably 
modified by certain customs and laws. 
Tho following circumstance, which happened here whei 
I was prcsont with Sokolotu, shows that the simplo modt 
of punishment by forcing a criminal to work out a tine did 
not striko tho Makololo mind until now. 
A stranger, having visited Scsheko for the purpose of 
bartoi, was robbed by one of the Makalaka of most of his 
goods. Tho thief, when caught, confessed tho theft, and 
that ho had given the articles to a porson who had removed 
to a distance. The Makololo were much enraged at tho 
idea of their good name being compromised by this treat- 
ment of a strangor. Their customary mode of punishing 
a crimo which causes much indignation is to throw tho 
criminal into the river j but, as this would not restore tho 
lost property, they were sorely puzzled how to act. Tho 
oaso 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 systom 
was immediately introduced, and thioves are now sen- 
tenced to raise an amount of corn proportioned to their 
offences. Among tho Bakwains, a woman who had stolen 
from tho garden of another was obliged to part with her 
own entirely : it bo 'amo the property cf her whose Hold 
was injured by the crime. 
