.

When slaves were brought for sale and declined by the Englishmen, the
natives could not understand their indifference to such traffic, but
would turn from them with a significant shrug, as much as to say: "Why
are you here then?" The most horrible punishments are inflicted on
those who offend against the laws of the country. A woman and lad, who
had been accused of bewitching the sultan's brother, were found with
their arms tied behind them, writhing in torture on their faces. No
sympathy was shown them from the jeering crowd. The lad at last cried
out: "Take me to the forest; I know a herb remedy." He was allowed to
go, while the woman was kept in the stocks near the sick patient. The
lad was put to death, and Captain Grant suspected, tortured before a
fire. Another man, for a crime in the sultan's harem, was stripped,
tied to railings, and his person smeared with grease and covered with
greased rags, which were then set fire to, when he was dragged forth to
a huge fire outside the village. On his way, _assegais_ were darted at
him by the son and daughter-in-law of the sultan, and when he fell he
was dragged out by one leg.

Grant had the same difficulties in moving that Speke had experienced.

At length, on the 12th of September, he got away, but on the 16th, as he
was passing through the territory of Sultan Myonga, his men moving in
Indian file, a band of two hundred natives, armed with _assegais_ and
bows and arrows, burst upon him, springing over the ground like cats.
The uplifted _assegais_ and the shouts of the robbers frightened the
porters, who gave up their loads and attempted to escape from the
ruffians, who were pulling their clothes and loads from them. Grant
endeavoured without bloodshed to prevent this, but, as he had only one
of his gun-men and two natives by him, he could do nothing. Little
Rohan the sailor, one of his Zambesi men, was found with his rifle in
hand at full cock, defending two loads against five men. He had been
urged to fly for his life. The property, he answered, was his life.
Grant made his way, however, to Myonga, seeing as he went the natives
dressed out in the stolen clothes of his men. Though honour was dear,
the safety of the expedition was so likewise, and one false step would
have endangered it.

Myonga pretended to be very indignant, and said that he had cut off the
hand of one of his men, and promised that the property should be
restored. Some of the loads