sist without employing such instruments as may every moment
be converted td its own destruction.
'AdighPs ate the* supremo judge#isfr the realm;; all causes
may be brought before5j them, and it f is they who give final
judgment. ’ An a p p e a l; indeed Kes from their sentence to .the
Kifrg’ Mmëelf: but ajP-'lb^r- aionw^ppstoss the I royal earybifc is
both difficult ahd; dangerous; t o assert this; jMWiege, and every
ohe % 'moré williirg ' to atsquieséè in their -diltësièni-tftiön .to- • hazard
an appeal Which is‘ likely to- be attended wito worse^eon-
sequences than the grievance be complains of.
The Adigafs are • possessed of all; those privileges and, immui-
nities which may be;‘Siipposed to -accompany - their unlimited
power ; 'and, ■ in order to approach as n e aP te toyaity < as »possible,,
they have als6 thefr particular badge which Ms allowed
’to no other person. Their 'peculiar distinction consists >i# a
Certain number of officers attached to their train, Who carry
& sort of slaves of a particular-shape, and a etol # hard Sayis
which are considered. ds tokens of the AdigarS commission,
and when presented ’along with'any mandate never fail to ptes-
cure immediate obedienéé; 1
The embassies to the European government a t lSotombo are
■entrusted ter these prime ministers; and they are also charged
With the reeeptionfof our ambassadors. I have had. fréquent
beeasion to See both1 the Adigars a t Goluffibo. -They are portly
good looking men. The one .of them appeared much more attached
to- our'.gbvemment than the other.
The officers nekt in rank to the Adigars are the Dissauvas,
They are the governors of the copies or districts, and are besides
the principal military commanders. Their business is to
attend the king’s person when required, to collect the retenues,
and .»see* that good .amber, and strict discipline b£ main-*
tairied I h r' their commands. Bub gref.t.üas is!.'the, authority en-f
trusted to these and the other- great, dffiqers of .slate over their
■ fellbW-«ia;bjeiass node of- them are^lowed: ifo bring any ^jpe pub-
lielyMo capital punishment y bringing tire matter
bfeféPê the king, tyhbsfe exddsiveeprm^aUvenijtVps- to pronounce
'sérftetiee- bfr death. The power of toe./Dissanvaj;JJdda, or eomr
mawdet in ê l h e f i p i Mqpd^s,:.. .-is .very, greats, and| thig,>officer,
havingtoe Complete disposaio f the mi 1 i tary, beco mes an
obje-ét; 'Öf !apprdheHSiöh to the king. Whale I was- at- Golumbo,
it was eyen said that ; the 'Sing had entirely; abolished th e office,
fSdgtftg! the power atta&hed. to it top igreat to be entrusted in
. the -bauds *>£ - a singte individual. I had, /however, afterward,
an 'opporftmity-df .finding this report nnfc^dèd my -own
personal observatioji, as the Dissauvar l/dda accompanied the
Adigars to- meet governor North, - and -was received -.1 by the
,tinder awsas, 11®, Distouyas, as long alstto^-bold toefr
■office, are allowed b y the king- as. eerstain portion of la nd , fqr
their services*, -and they often besides squeeze the people; under
Aheir command ffiimiertafuily,. under pretence ®f collecting com,
-Mbutions tor his Majesty. •
• These «great -officers generally reside a t court, and personally
attend upon toé king, who is, perhaps, afraid to allow persons
endowed with so much authority to remain in their provinces
and have opportunity of courting popularity. As the Dissauvas,
therefore, cannot attend in person, they have inferior officers
under them, who act entirely by their orders, either in coUee-*.
lin g the king’s Tevenuesj or in squeezing the people for the
emolument of- their patrons. These deputy officers are known
by the names of Roter&uts, Vitanies, and CoaorlevidanieSj, and