g Oyl; and say, The God of Heaven
and Earth is witness, that I did not do this that I am accused of;
Or, The four sorts of Gods be witness, That this Land in controversie
is mine. And then the other swears quite contrary. But first the
Accuser alwayes swears. The Accused also relates his own innocence,
or his own Right and Title. The cloths that their hands were bound
up in are taken off. And immediatly upon using the former words,
he dips his two fingers into the hot Oyl, flinging it out three
times. And then goes to the boyling Cow-dung, and does the same. And
so does the other. Then they tie up their hands again with the cloth,
and keep both of them Prisoners till the next day. When their hands
are looked upon, and their fingers-ends rubbed with a cloth, to see
if the skin come off. And from whose fingers the skin comes, he is
forsworn. The Penalty of which is a great forfeiture to the King and
great satisfaction to the Adversary.

I am able to testifie, that the fingers of some of these that have
thus sworn have been whole from any scald after this use of hot Oyl:
but whether it be their innocence or their Art, that it thus comes to
pass, I know not. The penalty of the breach of the Laws or Customes
of this Land is at the pleasure of the Judg, either amercement,
or imprisonment, or both.

[How they exact Fines.] For the taking of Fines from men, on whom they
are laid, this is their Custom. The Officers, wheresoever they meet the
man, stop him in the place. Where they take away his Sword and Knife;
and make him pull off his Cap and Doublet; and there he sits with his
Keepers by him, till he pays the Fine. And if he delays paying it,
they clap a great Stone upon his back; in which condition he must
remain till he pays it. And if he doth not pay, they load him with
more Stones, until his compliance prevent further pains. Another way
they have to exact the payment of the Fines laid upon them. They take
some sprigs of Thorns, and draw them between the mans naked Legs till
he pays. But if he remain obstinate they clap him up in chains.

They have an odd usage among them to recover their debts. Which
is this. They will sometimes go to the house of their debtor with
the leaves of Neiingala a certain Plant, which is rank Poyson, and
threaten him, that they will eat that Poyson and destroy themselves,
unless he will pay him what he ows. The debtor is much afraid of this,
and rather than the other should Poyson himself, wil