36 GOVERNMENT.

mission, is to be dreaded; for these people live

solely by plunder and robbery. They make incur-

sions into the neighbouring country in large bodies,

even to Milbes, situate at three hours' march from

Lobeid, and steal and rob everything that comes in

their way, both men and cattle, which they either

use for their own purposes, or sell to others, The

Djelabi, and other travellers, avoid this hill, by

making a great circuit, in order to escape the

negroes of " Dyre."

The jurisdiction over the offences and crimes of

slaves, is an affair sui generis. This class of beings

is not looked upon, or treated as men, but as cattle.

The master of a slave acts as judge in cases of

offences, which the one or the other may commit in

his house. If one slave murder or stab the other,

the proprietor must bear the loss, if both the slaves

be his property ; and he can merely punish the

criminal, or sell him, if he please. In this case, the

affair is regarded in the same light as when, in

Europe, one horse kills the other, both belonging to

the same owner. If, on the other hand, the mur-

dered slave be the property of another, the pro-

prietor of the murderer must make the loss good

;

and only if he refuse, or offer too little, pro-

ceedings at law are entered upon,—not a crimi-

nal process for murder, but a suit for damages.

Only in case a slave murder a free man, is he

ever brought to trial, and executed according to

sentence.