MANNEl?S AND CUSTOMS. 



.523 



by breaking the limbs with a 

 hatchet : thiv, though it assinii- 

 lates to the in;inner of breaking 

 on the wheel, does not appear to 

 liavc been adopted from Euio- 

 peans, the practice being of an- 

 cient (late. The party is left to 

 linger, sometimes for seveial 

 days, Ijefore death ensues. All 

 executions are in public. Other 

 capital punishments are usually 

 perfoi'ined with a creese. Open 

 robbery by day-liglit is punished 

 by d;'athj but steiling, by con- 

 iinement only: robije.y by night 

 invariablv by diath. .\ll oH'eMces 

 are punished in the jaxa's court, 

 which consi^ts of two jaxas and 

 t'.vo kanc'aa or registers ; tlie per- 

 b.ikal being the prosecutor. The 

 se.itence of the, court must be 

 confirmed by the prince: previous 

 to e.x.ecuf ion, his warrant or loiitar, 

 is necessary in all cises ; in civil 

 cases, the c;)niirmation of the 

 prince is only reipiired when per- 

 sons are sohl into slavery. A le- 

 gal u- ta!)le of fees, in civil as well 

 as criminal cases, is exlubited in 

 court; and t!ie am )unt divided 

 between tiie meuib:-i's and the 

 prince. In criminal cases, when 

 the punishuieut is capital, tlia 

 property is can'i-cated, and di- 

 \ided in like n)anner ; but, in 

 other punishments, the parties 

 retun their property. .Adultery 

 is punished with death to the 

 man, and the woman beco nes a 

 slave to the prince. Theft is tiie 

 most prevalent crime. Adultery is 

 imconimon ; perh.ips not twenty 

 cases in a year. The husband lias 

 the power, by law, to kill both 

 parties at the moment, if he de- 

 tects them in ths fact ; l>iit not 

 otherwise. 



In their domestic relations. 



ho'.vever, the conduct of the Bali- 

 nese apjjcars unexceptionable ; 

 and there is indeed a superior 

 delicacy to what miglit be ex- 

 pected, and their tenderness to- 

 wards eaily age speaks strongly 

 in favour of their natural dispo- 

 sition. Tiie parental autlinrity is 

 exercised with su'.h tenderness, 

 that it is peculiarly striking when 

 taken in :he same view with the 

 apparently rude character of the 

 people. They seem to evince a 

 careless indifference to the rod of 

 despotism which hangs over theii' 

 heul ; and an air of good humour 

 and general sitisfaction prevails 

 throughout. Temperate in their 

 diet, and strangers to druuken- 

 Tiess, the ruling iiassism is gaming, 

 fron cocknghting toan inoaiinate 

 and uiiurinciple ! desire for con- 

 6]nost. — Such is the energy of the 

 character, that it must find some 

 poweifal vent; something on 

 which to disclv.irge itself; and, 

 not ijeing su';ifCied to a form of 

 gi)vernment calculated to repress 

 tlieir energies, they evidently 

 fe^l no inclination t>) stand still 

 in the scale of civilization. As a 

 nation, tliey are certainly i .vin- 

 cible, as to any nati\e power in 

 tlie Eastern Seas. Still maintain- 

 ing a high and noble indepen- 

 dence of character, th.^y periiaps 

 exhibit in a concentrated .spo': as 

 nsuch of human nature, checked 

 bvrej-ulation. and vet not lowered 

 or relined by it, as is to be found 

 in any part of tlie universe. 



AXCIENT POPUL.VTION OF THE 

 ISLANDS. 



If we contemplate the various 

 nations and tribes which inhabit 

 the Southern peninsula of India, 

 aud the innumerable iiilaiuls coin- 



posing 



