Disputes between a master and his slave, between a governor and his ward, between a headman and his villager, or between a chief and his headman, are easily settled by the power of the Superior. But disputes between different villages are more puzzling. If a man of Chingota’s kill a man of Matope’s in Chuma’s village, the three headmen may be involved only, when all belong to one chief, reference is ultimately made to him. But when they belong to different chiefs the case is rendered more dangerous, as their respective chiefs may become parties. The following instances show how cases between chiefs are settled. If a subject of Malemya be killed in a village of Kapeni’s by men of Kumpama,[11] Malemya expects Kapeni to catch the criminals and hand them over to him; and Kapeni must do so, otherwise he becomes a party to the crime. Kumpama sends a message to Kapeni asking, “Where are those men of mine that went to your territory?” and Kapeni refers him both now and in all subsequent steps of the dispute to Malemya. The chief of a country thus takes cognisance of crimes committed in his land not by punishing the guilty parties himself, but by handing them over to the injured. Again, suppose that Malemya’s men when carrying goods for Kapeni were plundered by subjects of Kumpama, if the deed be done in Malemya’s territory, Malemya takes the matter up, but if the goods be once out of his territory, Kapeni becomes prosecutor. In either case Kumpama is asked to surrender the thieves, and is liable to punishment, either because he is a party to the theft, or because he fails to govern his kingdom in the proper way. 100. GENERAL REMARKS ON NATIVE LAW. As law is a subject of great complexity in all countries, it must not be supposed that we have settled every question. In a native dispute difficulties may arise regarding the form of prosecution, the form of evidence, the proper court, the position and members of that court, and in short at every step. These _special_ difficulties are settled according to the merits of each case: and cannot be here solved without treating the subject with a minuteness that would be too tedious for the most ardent student of African customs. 101. WAR.