28 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



custom-houses, and as detachments against the sa- 

 vage Indians. The males of the remaining popu- 

 lation who are able to bear arms, serve either in 

 the regular militia (milicias'), of which there are 

 three regiments of cavalry and eight of infantry, 

 or in the local militia (ordenanzas). The militia 

 are bound to perform military service, not only 

 within the limits of the capitania, but in case 

 of need to go beyond the frontiers. The local 

 militia must not leave the place of their abode. It 

 includes, with the exception of the public officers, 

 every male from the age of sixteen to sixty who is 

 not already enrolled in the troops of the line or 

 the regular militia. 



. This local militia constitutes the real defence of 

 the whole nation, and is chiefly employed in main- 

 taining internal order. Like the regular militia, it 

 is called together to exercise from time to time, 

 but its chief use is to keep up a certain military 

 order in the people, and to execute with energy 

 the resolutions of the civil magistrates, which they 

 would never be able to do of themselves in a 

 country so thinly peopled. The capitania of S, 

 Paulo has 157 companies of local militia. The 

 chief officers of these troops are the capitaos mors, 

 as it were colonels, and communicate directly with 

 the government upon many affairs, for instance, 

 those of the internal police. The highest officers 

 of the regular militia are called Colonels {Coronets'), 

 The jurisdiction of these officers is entirely distinct. 



