are resident hi» the different, provinces and ‘ districts to , which
they are - appointed. . An inferior.frank;,of . .officers tor these .is
coniDO'sed of C.onganies, AiaStjesv, $$p. who hold the same 'stations
here as among the Cinglese,« and fulfil the .duties of coilstablea
and police- officers.
This ■ whole plan of government foj-ras a regular system of
oppression, - which falls’, ^vith the,-severest .weight on , the. lower
orders' of the people. . Few have/dheveourage to appeal against
the unjust extortions of-jthe higher, ranks, and fewer still meet
with any redress. I t is the policy o f' the king-,-in the true timid
spirit of despotism,- to prevent , any ■ good understanding between
his-officers and the people" th ey ' govern ; and for this, reason
he is by no means displeased fa> observe the former exasperating
the latter-agdinst themselves - by oppression. Although the persons
of; the peasantry -beyin some measure protected, yet their
property is completely a t the mercy of the rapacious officers
of the court. 1 They have long, since been -thing
valuable/ : and many of. ..Ahem; trust tod the! spontaheous; dr-niteydf
their forests for a scanty subsistence,, rather than cultivate fields
whose ■ produce . must „be, shared, with their oppressors. If. • a
peasant chances by- accident to find a precious .stone of value,
or is possessed-of any thing of superior quality, jeven- Ahp; fruit
which; he -gathers; hfe: i%pQinp©lled to „giyediA up to«; the j king’s
officers; o r . if it be of such value that they are afraid to appropriate'
it-; to themselves,- they compel the unfortunate possessor
to travel up with it himself,, and at his own charge, i to
the royal residence, where lie isl often obliged,, to remain several
days' in waiting, at the palace-gate before his present is received,
and he dares not before th .e n .^ ^ u^ n l ^ ^ f j i^ e p p t^ ^ r
On thisifaccount.‘a..pandian peasant p m a p e i d s n t on
a prectousngfccme, wilh teiflier îdestroyfc b» » lövtfe it where it li^fe
; rather •thatli'Subjdcl’ himself ! téi the trouble and'ex'pence of ear-;
odTht primripal fevoriuègicof théÜkihg consist Af presents , 'or
ebfftrilhlions, brought himdbÿ the people; or rather irregularly,
éhfdrced'f% ;his' Officers, two. o f three-■ times Vf ad^yèarér These
dbfttsibutions 'consist, of- nibüey, îpfëiioûse stones, i%orÿyj,reïothv
coin,;fruit; 'ffiohey, - wa-xparffis, and bfhef.-articles,mfï.ïtheir -iowffi
' manufacture,'Tsufeh as^épéars;iÀrrbws, ^pifes/h'.-targ’ets; {talipot
leaves, f8tc. '* ''
Fear of ’the Emopeans*induces ’the’jking hovpractise th e 'saffie
pôliey1 dsSr.tlafe* Ahead ,df- his rapàci’ousv officers, produces!1 among-
h&! su^dets:-.(iH e' pretends onI all occasions, to -bè vör,ybpoor,f
although it is well- known;.fhatdbls^ treasury is wdll^ stored-1 with •
various articles'" ©f greaf 'ialuév T h d î^ ’rèsénfs- r which ;ke | made'-= -
oüiWjrövtrh'me'nt’ ih' return ,'fbr; some Very valuable*; bneâ'/he re- ,
chivéd from »us, ' were 'es^rénaeïyïpiooir- indeed.'!
1 iThMowefbefesses ofr the 'people, ffioweVef.’are-tnot the ,only
persdal whdîtfeèlbthe-burden1 of* supplying the royal treasury.;
Upon certain- festivals, which!the-observes- in great;staH all the"
MaShohSreWs aÉdf'principaî people;are obliged.to' appear , before^
hirrf',* töfd'Aèu'ê must hxkhe emptyvhanded. -'Before-èhéy- are admitted
to thè^Sëyâl présence, fhëy deposit- their- gifts at‘| the'
palace gate, and, are then rèceived-- by., the'monarch »according
t$othe value of thehr'Affèrmgcj It-'ds dângèrous(jfor them to
keép^back oU-'-thÊsêfocedSions; § ahd* the, expected present is ne- '
cessafy-Ahr , thenspef ritjNlbothj df l-their -perdons - and property.
The dacfcëni&i or gift;;!}is, always wrapt 1 up in a, white clof-b;^
and carried A n ' the heacBlbf him who, presents ifef-(eveh -jwlerejyit,
no 'bigger ’than the sièëAf •'•a nut. A white cloth;..-is 'partfi-
' W H m