TO THE COURT OF AVA. 
163 
language, as the case may be, the “ eater,” or con¬ 
sumer, of the province, of the township, of the 
district, or of the village. The greater number 
of these persons reside at the Court, and never 
visit their estates. These are administered, both 
judicially and fiscally, by agents, often appointed 
by themselves. The temporary lord and his agent 
assess the cultivators at their discretion, usually 
as already mentioned, by levying a kind of capi¬ 
tation tax, which, according to circumstances, is 
taken either in money, in kind, or in services,—a 
great deal of it in the latter form. The public 
officers who hold such temporary grants of land, 
having commonly paid large bribes for them to 
the Court, exact, in their turn, large sums from 
their agents, and the cultivators have to pay 
for all. 
Grants of land, or rather assignments, convey¬ 
ing the right of taxing the inhabitants, are com¬ 
monly during the pleasure of the sovereign. When 
an individual falls under the displeasure of Go¬ 
vernment, and loses favour or place, he is inva¬ 
riably stript of his estate. Such removals are 
constantly taking place, and consequently these 
holders of land have no permanent interest in the 
improvement of the country : on the contrary, 
every individual endeavours to make the most of 
his authority while it lasts. Small grants of single 
villages, or occasionally of districts, are made by 
the King for particular services, and these purport 
M 2 
