383 



for many years been hereditary among the southern nations in 

 the family of Cangapol. 



The liereditary Chiefs or Elmens, as Falkner calls them, (the 

 Ulmcnes of Molina) have no power to take any thing from their 

 assals, nor can they oblige them to jierform any kind of work 

 without paying them : on the contrary, they must treat them 

 kindly, and relieve their wants, or they will put themselves 

 under the protection of another. Many of the Elmens 

 therefore waive the privilege of their birth, and refuse to have 

 any vassals, because they cost them much, and yield little 

 profit. But if any body of j>eople were to attempt to live 

 together without a chief at their head, they would undoubtedly 

 be killed or carried away as slaves ; so hostile are even such 

 despots as these to repubHcauism . 



The husband buys his wife of her nearest relations, with or 

 without her consent ; he then takes her as his property. But 

 if the woman has fixed her affections on another, she some- 

 times wears out the patience of her purchaser, and he tunis her 

 away, or sells her to the man of her choice, but seldom treats 

 her ill. Widows and orphans are at their own disposal. The 

 Yas or Elmens have two or three wives at a time ; tlie 

 common people may have as many as they please also, but 

 xvives are dear, and they have rarely more than one. The 

 lives of the women are one contuiued scene of labour : they 

 fetch wood and water; they dress the food; they u>ake, mend, 

 and clean the ten^ ; they cure the skins, and make them into 

 mantles; they spin, and make the ponchos; they pack up 

 every thing for a journey, even the tent-poles ; they load, un- 

 load, and settle the baggage ; straiten the girths of the saddles, 

 and carry tlie lance before their husbands, and at the journey's 

 end set up the tent. Sickness or pregnancy, however far ad- 

 vanced, never exempt them from these labours ; and it would 

 be in the highest degree ignominious for their husbands to 

 assist them. The women of the noble families may have 



