there he creeps out at once because of the heat, the smell, and the smoke. These were of course royal huts, but the huts of all the Baralongs are better than those of the Kafirs. The King or Chief administers justice sitting outside in his Court with his Councillors round him; and whatever he pronounces, with their assistance,--that is law. His word without theirs would be law too,--but would be law probably at the expense of his throne or life if often so pronounced. There are Statutes which are well understood, and a Chief who persistently ignored the Statutes would not long be Chief. For all offences except one the punishment is a fine,--so many cattle. This if not paid by the criminal must be paid by the criminal’s family. It may be understood therefore how disagreeable it must be to be nearly connected by blood with a gay Lothario or a remorseless Iago. The result is that Lotharios and Iagos are apt to come to sudden death within the bosoms of their own families. Poisoning among the Baralongs is common, but no other kind of violence. The one crime beyond a fine,--which has to be expiated by death from the hand of an executioner,--is rebellion against the Chief. For any mutiny Death is the doom. At the time of my visit Sapena was exercising the chief authority because of Maroco’s infirmity. Everything was done in Maroco’s name, though Sapena did it. As to both,--the old man and the young,--I was assured that they were daily drunk. Maroco is certainly killing himself by drink. Sapena did not look like a drunkard. President Brand assured me that in nothing that they do are these people interfered with by the Free State or its laws. If there be thieving over the border of the Free State the Landroost endeavours to settle it with the Chief who is by no means averse to summary extradition. But there is not much of such theft, the Baralongs knowing that their independence depends on their good behaviour. “But a bloody Chief,”--I asked the President,--“such as Cetywayo is represented to be among the Zulus! If he were to murder his people right and left would that be allowed by your Government?” He replied that as the Baralongs were not given to violent murder, there would never probably be a case requiring decision on this point. In my own mind I have no doubt but that if they did misbehave themselves badly they would be at once annexed.