Chap. XXII. 
REVENUES OF TASA'WA. 
17 
flogged another man, or most probably for having 
given him a sound cudgelling, is as much as ten 
thousand kurdi; for illicit paternity, one hundred 
thousand kurdi — an enormous sum considering the 
economic condition of the population, and which, I 
think, plainly proves how rarely such a thing happens 
in this region ; but of course where every man may 
lawfully take as many wives as he is able to feed, 
there is little excuse for illicit intercourse. In case 
of wilful murder, the whole property of the murderer 
is forfeited, and is of right seized by the governor. 
Each village has its own mayor, who decides petty 
matters, and is responsible for the tax payable within 
his jurisdiction. The king, or paramount chief, has 
the power of life and death ; and there is no appeal 
from his sentence to the ruler of Maradi. However, 
he cannot venture to carry into effect any measure of 
consequence without asking the opinion of his privy 
council, or at least that of the ghaladima or prime 
minister, some account of whose office I shall have 
an opportunity of giving in the course of my narra- 
tive. The little territory of Tas&wa might constitute 
a very happy state, if the inhabitants were left in 
quiet ; but they are continually harassed by predatory 
expeditions, and even last evening, while we were 
encamped here, the Fellani drove away a small herd 
of ten calves from the neighbouring village of Kalbo. 
About noon the "salt" of the serki-n-Kel-owi 
arrived with the people of Olalowa, as well as that of 
Salah Liisu's head man, who before had always been 
VOL. ir. c 
