CHARACTER OF THE CHIEFS AUTHORITY. 
545 
together, while a party of armed men surrounded it, to prevent his 
escape. The unconsumed remains of this fire, were seen by some of 
my men, who, being in search of firewood and not knowing the cir- 
cumstance, immediately began to pick up the half-burnt sticks. 
Some of the inhabitants, observing this, desired the Hottentots to lay 
them down again, informing them that their customs, and perhaps 
some superstitious feelings, forbade that any person should make use 
of wood which had been employed for such a purpose. 
But the most peculiar of their laws, and one which the Chief 
was said to be careful to preserve from infraction, is that by which 
he claims the breast of every animal, whether tame or wild, killed 
by any of his subjects ; and, as I have before remarked, the legal 
punishment for disobedience to it, is death : but I shall not venture 
to assert that this is always inflicted, since no particular instance 
of it ever came to my knowledge, although of the existence of this, 
as a positive law, I was repeatedly assured. 
My observations on the national government of these people, and 
on the results of it, have led me to believe that it is conducted with 
regularity and according to established law existing in the form of 
long-acknowledged customs. It is fully efficient in preserving good 
order and strict subordination, and in binding a large population 
together into one body obedient to the authority of a single man, a 
chief to whom his present power may perhaps have descended 
through an undisturbed succession of ancestors ; although their own 
traditions will scarcely carry their history back more than two or 
three generations. 
In the preceding chapters of the journal, the character of the 
Chief authority is better exemplified by facts, than it could here be 
explained by abstract description. Being personally known to, 
perhaps, all his subjects, and acknowledged as that individual to 
whom naturally, that is, by inheritance, the right of presiding over 
the national councils and of directing the public movements of his 
countrymen, belongs, he needs no exterior distinctions to point him 
out to them, nor has he any necessity for being intrenched with forms 
and ceremony to secure to him their respect. It seems therefore, 
VOL. II. 4 A 
