204 
PUNISHMENTS. 
by the friends and relatives. The probationary 
system of betrothal is only observed for the first wife, 
who keeps all the others in order, polygamy being 
universally permitted; the number of wives here as 
elsewhere in Africa depending very much on the cir- 
cumstances of the party. Some of the chiefs have 
upwards of one hundred wives and concubines. 
Biilloko, the so-called Kmg of Bario-batah, a town 
seven or eight miles from Clarence, is said to have 
upwards of two hundred. Females are evidently, from 
whatever cause, more numerous than the other 
sex. 
Adultery is considered to be one of the most serious 
offences, as the penalty indicates ; for the first trans- 
gression both parties are punished with the loss of a 
hand ; in the case of a man, however, he cannot forfeit 
the other hand, the punishment for a repetition of the 
offence, being severe chastisement and heavy fines 
extended even to the property of the relatives. The 
woman loses the remaining hand for a second act of 
adultery, and banishment from the tribe. These 
unfortunate creatures take refuge with the Krumen at 
Clarence, but they always feel deeply the exclusion 
from their native town, regarding it as a far greater 
loss than the deprivation of their hands. The ampu- 
tation is performed with a common knife and is done 
at the wrist joint; after the operation, a strong vege- 
table astringent is applied, which is said to restrain 
the luemorrhage perfectly. Clay is put over all, and 
