27'2 Civil and Military Kstahlishinents 
are resident iii the different provinces and districts to wbicli 
they are appointed. An inferior rank of officers to these is 
composed of Congaiiies, Aratjes, &c. who hold the same stations 
here as among the Cinglese, and fulfil the duties of constables 
and police ‘officers. 
This whole plan of government forms a regular system of 
oppression, which falls with the severest weight on the lower 
orders of the people. Few have the courage to appeal against 
the unjust extortions of the higher ranks, and fewer still meet 
with any redress. It is the policy of the king, in the true timid 
spirit of despotism, to prevent any good understanding between 
bis officers and tlie people they govern ; and for this reason 
lie is by no iiieaiis displeased to observe the former exasperating 
the latter against themselves by oppression. Although the per- 
sons of the peasantry be in some measure protected, yet their 
property is completely at the mercy of the rapacious officers 
of the court. They have long since been stript of every thing 
valuable, and many of them trust to the spontaneous fruits of 
their forests for a scanty subsistence, rather than cultivate fields 
whose produce must be shared with their oppressors. If a 
peasant chances by accident to find a precious stone of value, 
or is possessed of any thing of superior quality, even the fruit 
which he gathers, he is compelled to give it up to the king’s 
officers; or if it be of such value that they are afraid to ap- 
propriate it to themselves, they compel the unfortunate pos- 
sessor to travel up w^ith it hiraself, and at his own charge, to 
the royal residence, where he is often obliged to remain several 
days in waiting at the palace-gate before his present is re- 
ceived, and he dares not before then ever think of departure. 
On this account a Candian peasant on lighting by accident on 
