656 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



their own, their right to which, with the increase, is regularly and 

 formally recognized ; and with these and what additions to their stock 

 they may acquire in one way or another, they are ahle gradually to 

 accumulate a considerable property as they grow up. 



The wealth of a man who has grown fat in riches may consist in 

 what he has inherited from his father, or from the chief of his family ; 

 in what he has received from more distant relatives ; in what he has 

 gained in fees from his herdsmen ; and in what of the property of 

 other estates he has received by becoming the head of the family. 

 The line of descent of all this property, which consists almost wholly 

 of the pedigrees of the cattle, is carefully preserved, and the accumu- 

 lations of each kind can be as carefully computed and allotted as is 

 done in the case of the accounts of European bankers. When the lord 

 dies, all this property, with its increase, must go where it came from. 

 The division, or the fact that it is to take place, brings all the connec- 

 tions of the family from far and wide around the bed of the lord when 

 he has died or is expected to die, for each claimant must be present in 

 person to assert his claim, or it will be overlooked or overpowered. 

 The herdsmen must likewise bring up all the cattle from the various 

 stations, that they may be identified according to their pedigrees. 

 The division of all these animals and the adjudication of the claims of 

 all the pretendants who appear, sometimes consumes months of time, 

 with discussions which are often carried on in the midst of great ex- 

 citement. The dying man may himself give directions respecting the 

 division of his property, which are then implicitly carried out, other- 

 wise the man who disregards them may be troubled by his ghost. 



-**- 



PIRATICAL PUBLISHERS. 



By LEONAED SCOTT. 



THE republishes of foreign books and periodicals at cheap rates 

 have long and meekly borne the name which heads this article. 

 I propose to show that they do not also deserve it. 



Piracy is robbery in its boldest form, having no warrant but the 

 strength of the bloody hand that commits it. It is against all law 

 and all right, human or divine. It has no sanction nor show of sanc- 

 tion from the practice of others recognized, in all the walks of life, as 

 respectable and honored citizens. 



Will this description apply to the reprinting of foreign books? 

 Certainly not. What, then, is the crime of which republishers are 

 guilty ? Their calumniators will answer, " Oh ! they rob the foreign 

 author of the product of his brain." Let us see if this is true. I 

 grant that if all the nations of the earth had one common interest and 



