THROUGH HAWAII. 
425 
according to his order. A second tax is laid on the 
districts by the governor, for himself. The inhabitants 
of those portions of the island, however, which belong 
to other chiefs, although they furnish their share to¬ 
wards the king’s revenue, are not called upon to sup¬ 
port the governor of the island, but are expected to 
send a part of the produce of the land to their own 
chiefs. After this has been paid, additional requisi¬ 
tions are made upon the poor people cultivating the 
land, by the petty chiefs of the districts and villages ; 
these, however, are but trifling. 
There is no standing rule for the amount of rents or 
taxes, but they are regulated entirely by the caprice or 
necessities of their rulers. Sometimes the poor people 
take a piece of land, on condition of cultivating a given 
portion for the chief, and the remainder for themselves, 
making a fresh agreement after every crop. 
In addition to the above demands, the common 
people are in general obliged to labour, if required, 
part of two days out of seven, in cultivating farms* 
building houses, &c. for their landlord. 
A time is usually appointed for receiving the rent, 
when the people repair to the governor’s with what 
they have to pay. If the required amount is furnished, 
they return, and, as they express it, (homo liou) enter 
again on their land. But if unable to pay the required 
sum, and their landlords are dissatisfied with the pre¬ 
sents they have received, or think the tenants have 
neglected their farm, they are forbidden to return, 
and the land is offered to another. When, however, 
the produce brought is nearly equal to the required 
rent, and the chiefs think the occupants have ex¬ 
erted themselves to procure it, they remit the defici- 
3 i 
