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THere are two, who are the greatest and highest Officers in the Land.* 1.1 They are called Adigars, I may term them Chief Iudg∣es; under whom is the Government o•• the Cities, and the Countries
also in the Vacancy of other Governors. All People have liberty in default of Iustice to appeal to these Adiga••s•• or if their causes and diffe••rences be not decided by their Governours according to their minds.
To these there are many Officers and Sergeants belonging. All which, to be known, carry slaves in their hands like to Band••e••, the crooked end uppermost, which none but they dare carry. The sight of which slaves, upon what message soever they be sent, signifies as much as the Adigars Hand and Seal. If the Adigar be ignorant in what belong•• to his place and office, these men do instruct him what and how to do The like is in all other places which the King bestows: if they know not what belongs to their places, there are Inferiour Officers under them, that do teach and direct them how to Act.
* 1.2Next under the Adigars, are the Dissauva's, who are Governours over Provinces and Counties of the Land. Each Province and Coun∣ty has its Governour: but all Governours are not Dissauva's, nor other great Officers known by other names of Titles, as R••teraut•• and ••••••anies•• But all these Generals or Chief Commanders, who have a certain number of Soldiers under them. These great men are to provide, that good orders be kept in the Countries over which they are placed, and that the Kings accustomed dutie be brought in due season to the Count. They have Power also to decide controversies between the People of their Iurisdiction, and to punish contentions and disorderly persons•• which they do chiefly by amercing a Fine from them, which is for their Pro••fit, for it is there own: and also by committing them Prison. Into which when they are once fallen, no means without mony can get them out again.* 1.3 But be the ••ac•• never so hainous (Murther it ••ell) they can put none to death. The sentence of death being pronoun¦ced only by the King. They also are sent upon expeditions in War with their Soldiers, and give Attendance, and watch at Court in their appointed Stations.
These Dissauva's are also to see that the Soldiers in their Coun∣tries do come in due season and order for that purpose.
* 1.4They are appointed by the King himself, not for life, but during his good pleasure. And when they are dead or removed, oftentimes their places lay void, somtimes for months, somtimes pe••haps for years•• during which time the Adigar rules and governs those Coun∣tries: and for his labour receiveth all such Incoms and Profits as are ac∣customed and of right do belong to the Governour.
* 1.5The King when he advances any to be Dissauva's, or to any other great Office regards not their ability or sufficiency to perform the same, only they must be persons of good rank, and gentile extrac••ion: and they are all naturally discreet and very solid, and so the si••ter for the Kings employment. When he firs•• promotes them, he shews them great testimonies of his Love and ••avour, (especially to those that are Christians, in whose service he imposeth greater confidence than in his own people, concluding, that they will make more con••••••ence of their ways, and be more ••aithful in their Office) and give•• them a Sword, the hil•• all carved and inlaid with Silver and Brass very handsomly, the Scabberd also covered with Silver, a Knife and H••lbe••d: and lastly, a Town or Towns for their maintenance. The benefit of which i••, that all the Profit•• which before the King received from those Towns•• now accrues un••o the Kings Officer. These Towns are composed of all
And in the discharge of this his Office, he may call in the assistance of any man.
* 1.6The next Officer under the Governor is the Liannah. The Writer. Who reads Letters brought, and takes accounts of all Business, and of what is sent away to the Court: He is also to keep Registers, and to write Letters, and to take notice of things happening.
* 1.7Next to him is the Vndia. A word that signi••ieth a lump. He is a Person that gathers the King's Money: and is so fly led because he ga∣thereth the King's Monies together into a lump.
* 1.8After him is the Monnannah. The Measurer. His Place is to go and measure the Corn that grows upon the King's Land. Or what other Corn belongeth to him.
The Power of these Officers extends not all a whole Coun••ty or Province over, but to a convenient part of division of i••. To w••••, so much as they may well manage themselves. And there are several ••ets of the like Officers appointed over other Portions of the Coun••••••••. As with us there are divers Hundreds or Division•• in a County. To each of which are distinct O••••icers belonging.
* 1.9These Officers can exercise their Authority, throughout the whole Division over which they are constituted, excepting some certain Towns, that are of exempt jurisdiction. And they are of two sort•• First, such Towns as belong to the Idol-Temples, and the Priests, hav¦ing been given and bestowed on them long ago by former Kings. And secondly, The Towns, which the King allots to his Noblemen and Servants. Over these Towns thus given away, neither the ••ore••mentioned Officers, nor the chie•• Magistrate himself hath any Power. But those to whom they are given and do belong to, do put in their own Officers, who serve to the same purposes as the abovesaid do
* 1.10But these are not all the Officers: there are others, who••e place it is, upon the Death of any Head of a Family to ••etch away the King's Marrals, Harriots as I may call them; Viz. a Bull and a C••w, a Male and Female Buffalo, out of his Stock. Which is accustomably due to the King, as I have mentioned before. And others, who in Harvest time carry away certain measures of Co••n out of every Man's Crop according to the rate of their Land.
* 1.11These Inferior Officers commonly get their Places by Bribery; Their Children do pretend a right to them after their Father's Death, and will be preferred before others, greazing the Magistrate.
* 1.12None of these have their Places for life; and no longer than the Governor pleaseth. And he pretty often removes them or threatens to do so upon pretence of some neglects, to get Money from them. And the People have this privilege, that upon Complaint made o•• any of these Officers, and request that they may be changed and others made. They must be displaced, and others put in; but not at their Choice, but at the Choice of the Chief Magis••rate, or Owner of the Town.
* 1.13For the hearing Complaints and doing Iustice among Neigh∣bours, here are Countrey-Courts o•• Iudicature, consisting of these Officers, together with the Head-Men of the Places and Towns, where the Courts are kept:* 1.14 and these are called Gom sabbi, as much as to say•• Town-Consultations. But if any do not like, and is loath to stand by what they have determined, and think themselves wronged, they
may appeal to their Head Governor, that dwells at Court; but it is cha••geable, for he must have a ••eg. They may appeal also from him to the Adigars, or the ••hi•••• Iu••••••••s of the Kingdom. But whoso gives the greatest Bribe•• he shall overcome. For it is a common say••ing in this Land. That he that has M••ney to see the Iudge, needs not fear nor ••are, whether his cause ••e right or not. The greatest Punishment that these Iudges can in••l•••••• upon the greatest Malefactors, is but Im¦prisonment. From which Money will release them.
S••me have adventured to Appeal to the King sometimes;* 1.15 ••alling down on the ground before him at his coming ••orth, which is the manner of their obe••sance to him, to complain o•• Injustice. Some∣times he will give order to the great ones to do them r••ght, and some••times ••id them wa••••, until he is pl••ased ••o hear the Cause, whi••h is not suddenly: for he is very slow in all his Business: neither dare they then depart from the Court, having, been hidden to stay. Where they stay till they are weary, being at Expence, so that the Rem••dy is worse than the Disease. And sometimes again when they thus ••all before him, he commands to ••e••t them and put them in Chains for troubling of him; and perhaps in that Condition they may lay for some years.
The King's great Officers when th••y go abroad into the Countri••••, about the King's Business,* 1.16 they go attended with a number of Sol∣diers, armed both before and behind them; their Sword if not by their side, a Boy carrieth after them, neither do they carry their Swords for their safety or security. For in travelling here is little or no dan∣g••r at all. But it is out of State, and to shew their greatness. The Custom is that all their journey Victuals ••e prepared for them ready dressed; and if their Business requires hast•• then it is brought on a Pole on a Man's shoulder, the Pots that hold it hanging on each end, so that nothing can be spilt out into the road; and this is got ready against the great Man's coming. So that they are at no charge for Diet: It is brought in at the charge of the Countrey. But however this is not ••or all his Soldiers that attend him (they must bring their own Provisions with them) but only for himself, and some of his Captains.
The greatest Title that is allowed in the City to be given to the greatest Man is Oussary,* 1.17 which signifieth Worshipful. But when they are abroad from the King, men call them S••hattu and Dis••ond••ew, ••m¦plying, Honour and Ex••ellency. These Grande••s whensoever they walk abroad, their manner is in State to lean upon the arm of some Man or Boy. And the Adigar besides this piece of State, wheresoever he goes, th••re is one with a great Whip like a Coach-whip goes before him slashing it, that all People may have notice that the Adigar is coming.
But there is something comes after,* 1.18 that makes all the Honour and Wealth of these great Courtiers not at all desirable: and that is•• that they are so abnoxious to the King's displeasure. Which is a thing so customary, that it is no disgrace for a Nobleman to have been in Chains•• nay and in the Common Goal too. And the great Men are as ready when the King Commands, to lay hold on one another, as he to command them: and glad to have the Honour to be the King's Executioners, hoping to have the Place and Office of the Executed.
When any of these are thus dispatched, commonly he cuts off or im∣pri••oneth all the Male kind, that are near of ••in, a•• Sons or Brothers. ••••aring they should plot revenge, and seizes on all the Estate. And as ••or the Family, after Examination with Punishment to make them con••ess where the Estate lyes, they have Monthly Allowance out o•• the ••ame. But the Wise or Women-Kindred are now nothing at all in es••eem ••or Honorable Ladies as they were before. Yet sometimes he will send for the Sons or Brothers o•• these whom he hath cut of•• ••or T••aitors, and remand them out o•• the Prisons where he had committed them, and prefer them in honorable Employment.
* 1.19It is generally reported, and I have seen it so, that those whom he prefers unto the greatest and weightiest Imployments are those whom he intends soon to cut of••, and contrariwise those whom he doth a••••ect, and intends to have longer Service o••, shall not be so laden with Places and Honours. Howbeit altho they know and see this before their eyes daily, yet their hearts are so haughty and ambitious, that their desires and endeavours are to ascend unto the highest degrees o•• honour: tho that be but one remove from Death and utter Destru∣ction. And the Women's ambition is so great also, that they will put their Husbands on to seek for Preferment, urging how dishonorable it is ••or them to sit at home like Women, that so they may have re∣spect, and be reputed for great Ladies.
Two greatest Officers in the Land.
The next great Officers.
None can put to death but the King.
These Dissauva's are du∣••ants bene ph••∣••••••••.
Whom the King makes Dissauva's. And their Pro∣•••••••• and Ho∣nours.
••he Liannah.
The Undia.
The Monnan∣nah.
Some Towns ••xempt from the Pi••••uva's. Officers.
Other Officers 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
These places obtained by B••••••es.
But remain only during pleasure.
Coun••rey-Courts.
They may ap∣peal.
Appeals to the King.
How th••s•• great Offi••ers ••rave upon publick Bu∣siness.
Their Titles and Signs of 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
The misery that succeeds their Honour.
The foolish ambition of the Men and Women of this Countrey.