A BRUTAL MODE OF PUNISHMENT. 
2 37 
truth in any such report, which he had spread about out 
of mere spite in the hopes of doing Caceche harm, as the 
latter had procured him a flogging for stealing honey. 
Of course, if this were the truth the rascal deserved 
two dozen, but I thought Martin’s mode of punish¬ 
ment most brutal, as he hit the unresisting culprit 
three times in the face, his theory being that a native 
thinks nothing of being thrashed on the back with a 
stick, but if hit in the face carries the mark for many 
a day as a warning to the others. Needless to say, we 
prohibited any such mode of punishment for the future. 
We found out later on that the man was, after all, 
innocent, and that Caceche had been the sole originator 
of the row; but the ctskari got frightened as the in¬ 
vestigation proceeded, and preferred to take the blame 
and a licking, rather than the chance of Caceche here¬ 
after doing him a bad turn. I am afraid his perjury did 
not save him much, as he got a licking, and probably 
made an enemy of Caceche all the same. 
Our men, now that we were nearing Taveta, began to 
grumble and clamour for meat which would buy them 
pornbe, as, after being sober for nearly two months, they 
were evidently looking forward to the usual holiday 
carouse. Having now found out that they had not 
originally objected to meat of their own accord, but 
had been incited to refuse it, either at Cadeche’s or 
the askari’s suggestion, we withdrew our former 
restrictions. 
We stayed here two days, in the hopes of getting 
more buffalo and also eland. On the first of these I 
