114 MALAY LAND TENURE, 



or place of business for the use of the headman and elders of 

 the village, keeping pathways clear of jungle, etc., etc.* 

 But no words can be too strong to condemn the exactions 

 of Malay Eajas, Chiefs and their followers in respect of 

 the family and personal property of the cultivator, which may 

 affect any of his possessions, from his daughter to the vegeta- 

 bles growing in his garden. f The goats, fowls, fruit, crops, etc., 

 of the unfortunate peasant whose hut and land are on the route 

 followed by a Raja on his journey, are, under a native Govern- 

 ment, at the mercy of his rapacious followers; gajah lalu 

 orang buat layu, "the elephant passes by, but men bring 



* So, in England, the oath of fealty is still an incident of the tenure of cer- 

 tain estates in land, though seldom or never exacted in practice. 



■j- " The proprietors of fhepusakas have also a claim to the services of the cul- 

 •• tivators ; a certain number of them are always in attendance at the houses 

 " of their Chiefs, and on journeys are employed in carrying their persons and 

 " baggage. The lands not jmsaka used to pay the same proportion of produce 

 " to the Sultan as the others did to the proprietors ; but the cultivators of the 

 "royal dominions laboured under greater disadvantages than the others. 

 " Every Chief or favourite about Court had authority to employ them in the 

 "most menial offices, and Chiefs possessing pusahas often spared their own 

 "people, and employed the others. Report on Bantam- -Baffles' History of 

 Java, I, 150. 



" It may be very desirable that I should mention a few of the oppressions 

 " from which it is the object of the present system to relieve the people. I 

 " cannot but consider the greatest of these — the extent of the personal service 

 " demanded not only by the Tumunggong and his family, but the Mantris and 

 " all the petty Chiefs, who had trains of followers that received no stipendiary 

 " recompense. These added to the individuals employed in the coffee-planta- 

 " tions (to which they appear peculiarly averse), in beating out rice for the 

 " contingent, in cutting grass for and attending the jayang sekars (native 

 " militia), post carriage and letter-carrk rs, may be calculated to have em- 

 " ployed one-fifth of the male population of the working men. Another great 

 "source of exaction was the large unwieldy establishment of jayang sekars, 

 " and police officers; the former were liberally paid, the latter had no regular 

 " emoluments. Both these classes, however, quartered themselves freely in 

 " whatever part of the country their functions demanded their attendance. 

 " This was equally the case with any of the Begent's family or petty Chiefs 

 " who travelled for pleasure or on duty. Whatever was required for themselves 

 " and their followers, was taken from the poor inhabitants who have now been 

 " so long accustomed to such practices that they never dare to complain or to 

 " remonstrate. The European authority did not escape the taint of corruption. 

 " Monopolies, unpaid services, licences, forced or at least expected presents, 

 " were but too common even in the best times, and must have contributed to 

 " estrange the affections and respect of the natives from that power which 

 " should have afforded them protection." Report on Pasuruan — Id. 



