Justice Appears Upon The Whole To Be Pretty Fairly Administered Among
The Makololo.
A headman took some beads and a blanket from one of
his men who had been with us; the matter was brought before the
chief, and he immediately ordered the goods to be restored, and
decreed, moreover, that no headman should take the property of the
men who had returned.
In theory, all the goods brought back belonged
to the chief; the men laid them at his feet, and made a formal offer
of them all; he looked at the articles, and told the men to keep
them. This is almost invariably the case. Tuba Mokoro, however,
fearing lest Sekeletu might take a fancy to some of his best goods,
exhibited only a few of his old and least valuable acquisitions.
Masakasa had little to show; he had committed some breach of native
law in one of the villages on the way, and paid a heavy fine rather
than have the matter brought to the Doctor's ears. Each carrier is
entitled to a portion of the goods in his bundle, though purchased by
the chief's ivory, and they never hesitate to claim their rights; but
no wages can be demanded from the chief, if he fails to respond to
the first application.
Our men, accustomed to our ways, thought that the English system of
paying a man for his labour was the only correct one, and some even
said it would be better to live under a government where life and
labour were more secure and valuable than here.
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