POLITICAL HEADS CHIEFS, KINGS, ETC. 333 



one who lias a recognized superiority. This superiority may 

 be of several kinds which we will briefly glance at. 



Though in a sense abnormal, the cases must be recognized 

 in which the superiority is that of an alien immigrant. The 

 headmen of the Khonds &quot; are usually descended from some 

 daring adventurer&quot; of Hindoo blood. Foisyth. remarks the 

 like of &quot; most of the chiefs &quot; in the highlands of Central Asia. 

 And the traditions of Bochica among the Chibchas, Amalivaca 

 among the Tamanacs, and Quetzalcoatl among the Mexicans, 

 imply kindred origins of chieftainships. Here, however, we 

 at 13 mainly concerned with superiorities arising within the 

 tribe. 



The first to be named is that which goes with seniority. 

 Though age, when it brings incapacity, is often among rude 

 peoples treated with such disregard that the old are killed or 

 left to die, yet, so long as capacity remains, the greater expe 

 rience accompanying age generally insures influence. The 

 chief less Esquimaux show &quot; deference to seniors and strong 

 men.&quot; Burchell says that over the Bushmen, old men seem 

 to exercise the authority of chiefs to some extent ; and the 

 like holds true with the natives of Australia. Among the 

 Fuegians &quot; the word of an old man is accepted as law by the 

 young people.&quot; Each party of Rock Yeddahs &quot; has a head 

 man, the most energetic senior of the tribe,&quot; who divides the 

 honey, &c. Even with sundry peoples more advanced the 

 like holds. The Dyaks in North Borneo &quot; have no established 

 chiefs, but follow the counsels of the old man to whom they 

 are related;&quot; and Edwards says of the ungoverned Caribs 

 that &quot; to their old men, indeed, they allowed some kind of 

 authority.&quot; 



Naturally, in rude societies, the strong hand gives predomi 

 nance, Apart from the influence of age, &quot;bodily strength 

 alone procures distinction among&quot; the Bushmen. The leaders 

 of the Tasmanians were tall and powerful men : instead of 

 an elective or hereditary chieftancy, the place of command 

 was yielded up to the bully of the tribe.&quot; A remark of 



