302 



CAPITA M-M0R. 



captain, and so forth, all of which is done with- 

 out any pay. A Capitam-mor can also imprison 

 for twenty-four hours, and send under arrest for 

 trial a person who is accused of having com- 

 mitted any crime, to the civil magistrate of the 

 town to which his district is immediately at- 

 tached. Now, the abuses of this office of Capi- 

 tam-mor are very many, and the lower orders of 

 free persons are much oppressed by these great 

 men, and by their subalterns, down to the cor- 

 porals. The peasants are often sent upon er- 

 rands which have no relation to public business; 

 for leagues and leagues these poor fellows are 

 made to travel, for the purpose of carrying some 

 private letter of the chief, of his captains, or of 

 his lieutenants, without any remuneration. In- 

 deed, many of these men in place seldom think 

 of employing their slaves on these occasions, or 

 of paying the free persons so employed. This 

 I have witnessed times out of number ; and have 

 heard the peasants in all parts of the country 

 complain : it is a most heavy grievance. Nothing 

 so much vexes a peasant as the consciousness of 

 losing his time and trouble in a service which 

 is not required by his Sovereign. Persons are 

 sometimes confined in the stocks for days to- 

 gether, on some trifling plea, and are at last 

 released without being sent to the civil magi- 

 strate, or even admitted to a hearing. However, 

 I am happy to say, that I am acquainted with 



