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The starting point in this system is the village or 

 " Koro." Over every village there is a local chief 

 called the Turaga ni Koro. Over one or many vil- 

 lages, or perhaps over a district, there is a Buli ; and 

 over these is the chief j of the province, or Roko Tui. 

 The Governor, as Her Majesty's representative, is the 

 supreme chief of all. These native functionaries, 

 although the office which they hold is hereditary, i.e., 

 belongs to certain families, are elected to office by the 

 district council, of which more anon. The village 

 chief is assisted by a council of elders, which meets 

 once a week, and executive officers, magistrate 

 (Turaga ni lawa), policemen, town-crier, inspectors of 

 gardens, &c, are appointed to carry out its decisions. 

 These act on behalf of the community as guardians 

 of the peace, see that villages are kept clean, that 

 fences are not broken clown, that animals are not 

 destroying the gardens, and as messengers, guides, 

 &c. The affairs of the district are regulated by the 

 district council (Bose ni Tikini), which consists of the 

 Buli and all the village chiefs of the district. This 

 council, which meets once a month, nominates all the 

 village chief s— whoniit may suspend if not dismiss from 

 office ; discusses and regulates all local matters, such 

 as the opening of new roads and the repairing of those 

 already made, making and repairing bridges, — allotting 

 at the same time the portion of the work which each 

 village has to do ; keeping bathing places in decent 

 order, cleaning villages and superintending the pay- 

 ments of the village officers out of the local rates. The 

 Bulis of a province must meet twice a year in council 

 (Bose vaka Tasana), and discuss the affairs of the 

 province with the Roko Tui. These (there are 12 of 

 them) with two Bulis chosen from each province, and 



