COMMUNAL REGULATION. 439 



bottom says that in the neighbourhood of Sierra Leone, &quot; the 

 plantation is cultivated by all the inhabitants of the village, 

 in common, and the produce is divided to every family in 

 proportion to its numbers.&quot; Concerning Northern Celebes 

 since 1822, Mr. A. R. Wallace, an experienced traveller and . 

 careful observer, writes : 



&quot;In these villages the coffee plantations and rice fields are cultivated 

 in common. The chief and a few of the old men decide what days in 

 the week it is required to work in them, and a gong beats at seven in 

 the morning to assemble the labourers . . . when the crop is gathered 

 each receives his proportionate share. This system of public fields 

 and common labour is one not uncommon during the first stages of 

 civilisation. &quot; 



Near akin, but in some respects different, is the illustration 

 yielded by the Padam, one of the Indian hill-tribes. Here 

 are extracts from Dalton s account of them: 



The morang &quot;is 200 feet in length and has 16 or 17 fireplaces. . . . 

 The head-men, elders or Gams, congregated around the central fire 

 place. No one is permitted to arrogate the position of the chief. . . . 

 The notables meet daily in the morang for the discussion of affairs of 

 state. . . . Apparently nothing is done without a consultation, and an 

 order of the citizens in Morang assembled is issued daily regulating the 

 day s work. The result is rapidly promulgated by the shrill voices of 

 boys who run through the village giving out the order in a clear mono 

 tone like a street cry. ... I found that no presents were openly received 

 by the Gams or notables for themselves. Everything given on public 

 grounds is lodged in the common treasury for the benefit of the whole 

 body corporate. . . . Fines, forfeitures, and escheats are similarly 

 appropriated. . . . The crime of an individual is treated as a public 

 disgrace, to be expiated by a public sacrifice. The culprit has even 

 tually to bear the expense of this. . . . There is no power vested 

 in the community to take life or inflict corporal punishment on a free- 

 born citizen, but slaves may be put to death. . . . The Morang is 

 occupied every night by all the bachelors of the village, both freemen 

 and slaves, and w r ith them a certain proportion of the married men are 

 nightly on duty, so as to constitute together a sufficient available force 

 for any contingency of attack, fire, or other public emergency. &quot; * When 

 a man marries, he and his bride . . . set up a house for themselves. 

 In building this they are assisted by the community.&quot; 

 128 



