24G REMARKS AND OPINIONS. 



Kareimoku, Haulhanne (Mr. Young), are called 

 without distinction. 



The land belongs to the lord of the island, the 

 nobles possess the ground only as fiefs ; the fiefs 

 are hereditary but inalienable, they return to the 

 king. Powerful nobles may perhaps rebel and 

 defend what they possess. The right of the 

 strongest makes the lord of the island. The great 

 nobles decide their private feuds by arms. These 

 petty wars, which were formerly very frequent, 

 seem to have ceased since the year 1798. The 

 noble leads his people to war: no one who is not a 

 noble can possess a fief or lead people in war. He 

 can only be the steward of the estate. Those wha 

 cultivate the land are farmers or peasants of the 

 feudal lord, or immediately of the king. The 

 king receives tribute from all the land. Distin- 

 guished chiefs are placed as governors over dif- 

 ferent islands and territories. The people are 

 almost subject to the arbitrary will of the lord, but 

 there are no slaves or vassals {Glebce adscripti). 



The peasant and the labourer may go wherever 

 they please. The man is free, he may be killed, 

 but not sold and not detained. Lords and nobles 

 without land serve those who are more powerful. 

 The lord of the island keeps many of them, and 

 his rowers are exclusively of this class. It is to 

 be understood, that the casts are so determined, 

 that it is not possible to go from one to the other. 

 Nobility which can be given and taken away is 



