84 MANNERSANDCUSTOMSOF 



persons who possess land, but are not of noble birth ; many of these 

 were originally slaves, who have obtained land by acts of bravery, or 

 through the favour of their chiefs. The kawas are those who possess 

 no land, or no one from whom they can claim support. The omatas 

 consist of all the free and well born, who possess the greater propor- 

 tion of the land, as well as the political authority of the group. The 

 oldest male of a family is the chief of the community, and presides 

 over all their matters: he is called nea. They are, however, inde- 

 pendent of each other, although great deference is always paid to the 

 oldest among them. 



In Makin, the class of katokas is not known ; and the only dis- 

 tinctions they have, are the high and the low. This class, therefore, 

 appears to have been only introduced on Kuria and the adjacent 

 islands. 



Wars between the different towns are of frequent occurrence; and 

 in some of the islands ambitious chiefs have obtained the rule through 

 conquests, and made themselves sovereign over the whole. 



There does not appear to be any general authority existing through- 

 out the group, even in those islands that are in the neighbourhood of 

 each other, excepting in the islands of Apamama, Nanouki, and Kuria, 

 where there is a king, who governs the three: he resides on the former, 

 and is named " Tetalau." His grandfather was the first to make war, 

 and by conquest acquired supreme power in Apamama. The present 

 king has extended his authority over the two smaller islands, against 

 which he waged a successful war, in consequence of the murder of 

 one of his relations. To this little kingdom, most of the facts in re- 

 ference to the Kingsmill Group more particularly apply, as Kuria was 

 the residence of Kirby ; but from the observations of the naturalists 

 and officers, I have little doubt that the manners and customs of the 

 other islands, with the exception of Makin, are very similar. 



On Tarawa there is also a king, as well as on Makin; but it 

 appears that this has only been the case on the latter since the time 

 of the grandfather of the present king, called Teouki. The acquisi- 

 tion of royal power by him was said to have been effected only 

 through a series of bloody wars, which established his authority so 

 firmly, that peace and quietness have reigned for a century ; nor has 

 any attempt been made on the part of the conquered chiefs to regain 

 their independence. 



The government is carried on after the simplest patriarchal form, 

 the king contenting himself with receiving the tribute due him, without 

 intermeddling with the administration of the affairs of the separate 

 towns over which he rules. 



