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persons by surprise, threatening them with death if 
they do not grant them relief. In order to extricate 
themselves from this dangerous dilemma, they gene¬ 
rally issue immediate orders for distributing provisions 
amongst them. These, however, they do not fail to 
claim again, with large interest, in the event of a 
plentiful harvest. 
Each of the kings possesses absolute power in the 
territory which he governs. His counsellors are 
chosen by himself, and are selected from the chiefs. 
He consults them upon every occasion of importance, 
but, after all, his own will must decide, as from it 
there is no appeal. His proclamations are promul¬ 
gated by means of messengers, in the several districts, 
being first delivered to the chiefs, who communicate 
them to the people. 
The military force of the country is very great. 
We do not know whether any estimate of it has ever 
been made ; but if we admit Benyowskys calculation, 
which gives the number of males at two and a half 
millions, the number of fighting-men cannot fall far 
short of half a million, and probably exceeds it, as 
every one capable of bearing arms is a warrior. They 
are called together by means of emissaries, and have 
no other pay than the booty they can obtain ; and 
even a part of this goes to the king or chiefs. When 
the expedition is over, they disband, and return with¬ 
out any ceremony of dismission. 
At the death of a chief, his subjects are not obliged 
to submit themselves to his successor, but may go and 
