When he spoke thus, I was far from conceiving all that this superstition comprised, though I saw by his manner that it was something exceedingly serious; consequently, as he assured me that I was safe, I accepted his invitation to see the ceremony for discovering the wizard. He warned me, however, not to join the circle, as sometimes witch-doctors did not like white men. Accordingly, having by his help satisfied my hunger, I left the hut with him, and soon heard that the witch-doctor had declared Anzutu's illness arose from the hatred of one of the tribe--a wizard,--and that that person, having possessed himself of some article touched by the sufferer--a shell, some beads, or tuft of hair,--had buried it, and, by constantly repeating spells over the place, was occasioning the failing health of the chief's wife, whose illness would certainly end in death if the wizard were not detected. For the latter purpose, orders had been issued that all the Kaffirs should assemble together--the chief himself being present--at a given time, though time seems a strange term, for Caffraria knows little about it. The natives are aware that they wake in the morning, and, if the chief wills it, they may be dead before night; for the head man's power is absolute, and the victim suffers without a murmur. Therefore with them time and life are very precarious possessions. Advantageously placed by Tugela where I could see and not be seen, I soon beheld the space which had been selected for the trial begin to fill with Kaffirs, each with a very serious cast of countenance. My common-sense told me that it was a farce I was about to witness--a farce which proved to have a terrible conclusion. I felt that the idea of these doctors detecting wizards must be an imposture, though the actors might even deceive themselves; and it seemed strange to me how the natives could put confidence in the infallibility of these men, when, by their faces, each dreaded that he would be the one accused, though knowing himself to be innocent. Silently they all met; and my fat friend Metilulu, attended by a guard of "boys," armed with knob-kerries, advanced and took a seat apart, smoking profoundly. All, squatting down Kaffir fashion, awaited with evidently breathless suspense for the witch-doctor's coming. At last he appeared, and a more hideous object I never beheld. He was of a most haggard, cadaverous aspect, and his lean body attenuated. In one hand he carried a stick-- his wand,--to the top of which was fastened the tail of some animal. His garments consisted of the front and back fur aprons. About his neck was coiled a dead serpent, numerous tails of wild beasts hung over his breast and shoulders, while feathers of various hues adorned his issikoko, from which depended several charms; but the most striking sight was his face, which, like his body, had been daubed over with white earth; and the effect of this on the dark skin can be hardly conceived.