CH. XXVII.] Individual Liberty. 231 



as he likes, without let or hindrance from his neii^h- 

 hours, while he has the additional advantao-c over 

 the Englishman that he can remove his house and 

 set it up again wheresoever he pleases. In it he is 

 free of all control, whether from tax-gatherer or 

 policeman, and he is obliged to contribute nothing, 

 not even his services in time of war, to his neighbours. 

 It is however immensely to his advantage to yield a 

 little of this absolute independence, for the sake of 

 protection, for he cannot practically live alone, or he 

 would be pillaged by the men of other tribes, who 

 have a natural right to despoil him. 



He lives, then, except in rare instances, with his 

 tribe, and takes part with them in the common de- 

 fence, bringing his spear, when required, to swell the 

 ranks of the defenders. He takes part too with his 

 fellows in acts of war and robbery, which he could not 

 do alone, and submits to the general laws and regula- 

 tions which are necessary to every society. He has 

 not, however, though a poor man, the feeling that 

 he is amenable to laws made by others, not for his 

 own but for their interests. 



The system of government is a simple one. Each 

 tribe or section of a tribe is under the nominal rule 

 of a sheykh, chosen by vote ; and there is no quali- 

 fication recjuired either in the electors or the elected. 

 Common prejudice, nevertheless, is in favour of the 

 supreme power being entrusted to members of 

 certain families ; and the sheykh is usually chosen 

 out of these. A certain amount of wealth is neces- 



