86 DESPOTISM OF THE RAJAH. 



tation as a warrior, and bears on his person the 

 scars of many wounds. He governs his people 

 with absolute sway, and requires the most 

 prompt and abject obedience : none of his 

 subjects, including his own children, presume 

 to sit, eat, or chew the betel in his presence ; 

 nor do any approach to address him without 

 first bowing low and kissing his hand. Similar 

 marks of respect are paid by the inferior peo- 

 ple to the rajah's sons, and by the latter to 

 each other, in proportion to their seniority ; so 

 that a foreigner finds it difficult to reconcile this 

 formal and aristocratic state of society, with the 

 equality in dress and habits which appears to 

 prevail throughout all classes of the community. 

 The impetuous despotism of the old rajah, the 

 "sic volo, sic jubeO) stet pro ratione voluntas" of 

 his rule, has the effect of keeping his people in a 

 state of strict discipline, the slightest deviation 

 from which, exposes the offending party to the 

 punishments of heavy pecuniary fines flogging, 

 (from which even the ladies are not exempt,) 

 and protracted durance in the stocks.* 



* The place where criminals are confined and pun- 

 ished is an enclosed court, adjoining the rajah's residence. 

 Here we noticed several natives, of either sex, seated on 

 mats in the open air, some of them with their legs in the 

 stocks, and their heads shaved, and all encumbered with 



