348 
POWER MISUSED. — NEWS FROM LITAKUN. 
11 July, 
herds of cattle ; these are pastured in various parts of the country, 
and furnish employment for a considerable number of the poorer 
class of his people. They. receive for their service, nothing more 
than mere sustenance, and, as it would appear, barely that ; being 
allowed only a certain portion of the milk, and left to supply them- 
selves with meat by occasional hunting. The produce of this, pre- 
carious as it is, is lessened by a law or custom, by which they are 
obliged to send the breast of every piece of game to the chief ; and 
it was said, though there may be some doubt of the information, 
that the infraction of this law is a capital offence. 
This class of the inhabitants is greatly oppressed, not only by a 
despotic, but by an ai^istocratic power also : for, that authority which 
the chief exercises over the Jcosies or richer order, these exercise over 
their servants and immediate dependants, to so unjust a degree that 
they will not suffer them to acquire any property whatever ; and 
should any of this illfated class become, by means however honest, 
possessed of a cow or a few goats, he would be a rare instance of 
good fortune or favor, if his master did not take them from him. 
This tyrannical conduct the kosi would justify by telling him that a 
muchunka or a molldla (a poor-man, or servant) had no need of cattle, 
as he had only to mind his duty in attending those of his superior, 
and he might always be certain of receiving as much milk and food 
as would be necessary for his support. 
This poor herdsman, being old, and probably less able to undergo 
the fatigues of hunting, or rather, of approaching the game by 
creeping unseen towards it, had seldom been so fortunate as to kill 
any ; and his principal dependance was on searching for wild roots. 
Our halting at this place gave him several plentiful meals ; and 
though we must have appeared much more strange to him, than he 
to us, yet he sat by our fire and mixed with the party, with as much 
ease as if he had been at his own home. 
He informed me that Mattivi had long been expecting me at 
Litakun, and had therefore postponed the intended grand hunt, 
that he might not be absent at the time of my arrival ; but that his 
