Chap. IX. 
COUETS OF LAAV. 
183 
sion a man, feeling his wrist held too tightly, said, “ Hold me 
gently, can’t you? you will soon be led out in the same way 
yourselves.” Mpepe’s men fled to the Barotse, and, it being 
unadvisable for us to go thither dming the commotion which 
followed on Mpepe’s death, we retmmed to Linyanti. 
The foregoing may be considered as a characteristic specimen 
of their mode of deahng with grave pohtical offences. In common 
cases there is a greater show of dehberation. The complainant 
asks the man, against whom he means to lodge liis complaint, to 
come with him to the chief. Tliis is never refused. When both 
are in the kotla, the complainant stands up and states the whole 
case before the chief and the people usually assembled there. 
He stands a few seconds after he has done tliis, to recollect if he 
has forgotten anything. The witnesses to whom he has referred 
then rise up and tell all they themselves have seen or heard, but 
not anything that they have heard from others. The defendant, 
after allowing some minutes to elapse so that he may not inter¬ 
rupt any of the opposite party, slowly rises, folds his cloak around 
him, and, in the most quiet, deliberate way he can assume— 
yawning, blowing his nose, &c.—begins to explain the affau-, 
denying the charge or admitting it, as the case may be. Some¬ 
times, when gaUed by his remarks, the complamant utters a sen¬ 
tence of dissent; the accused turns quietly to him, and says, 
“ Be silent: I sat still while you were speaking; can’t you do 
the same? Do you want to have it all to yourself?” And as 
the audience acquiesce hi this bantering, and enforce silence, he 
goes on till he has finished all he wishes to say in Ihs defence. 
If he has any witnesses to the truth of the facts of his defence, 
they give their evidence. No oath is administered; but occa¬ 
sionally, when a statement is questioned, a man will say, “ By 
my father,” or ‘‘ By the chief, it is so.” Them trutlifulness among 
each other is quite remarkable; but then’ system of government 
is such that Europeans are not in a position to realise it readily. 
A poor man will say, in his defence against a rich one, am 
astonished to hear a man so great as he make a false accusation;” 
as if the offence of falsehood were felt to be one against the 
society which the individual referred to had the greatest interest 
in upholding. 
If the case is one of no importance, the chief decides it at once; 
