The History of Sumatra eBook

William Marsden
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 680 pages of information about The History of Sumatra.

The History of Sumatra eBook

William Marsden
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 680 pages of information about The History of Sumatra.

PAWNS OR PLEDGES.

If any person holding a pawn or pledge such as wearing-apparel, household effects, or krises, swords, or kujur (lances), shall pledge it for a larger sum than he advanced for it, he shall be answerable to the owner for the full value of it, on payment of the sum originally advanced.  If any person holding as a pledge man, woman, or child shall pledge them to any other at an advanced sum, or without the knowledge of the owner, and by these means the person pledged should be sold as a slave, he shall make good to the owner the full value of such slave, and pay a fine of twenty-eight dollars.  If any person whatever holding man, woman, or child as a pawn, either with janji lalu (term expired) or not, or with or without the consent of the original owner, shall sell such person as a slave without the knowledge of the Resident and Chiefs, he shall be fined twenty-eight dollars.

BUFFALOES.

CATTLE.

All persons who keep buffaloes shall register at the godong (factory-house) their tingas or mark; and, in case any dispute shall arise about a marked buffalo, no person shall be allowed to plead a mark that is not registered.  If any wild (stray) buffalo or buffaloes, unmarked, shall be taken in a kandang (staked inclosure) they shall be adjudged the property of any who takes upon himself to swear to them; and, if it should happen that two or more persons insist upon swearing to the same buffaloes, they shall be divided among them equally.  If no individual will swear to the property the buffaloes are to be considered as belonging to the kalippah or magistrate of the district where they were caught.  The person who takes any buffaloes in his kandang shall be entitled to a gratuity of two dollars per head.  If any buffaloes get into a pepper-garden, either by day or night, the owner of the garden shall have liberty to kill them, without being answerable to the owner of the buffaloes:  yet, if it shall appear on examination that the garden was not properly fenced, and from this defect suffers damage, the owner shall be liable to such fine as the Resident and Chiefs shall judge it proper to impose.

THEFT.

A person convicted of stealing money, wearing-apparel, household effects, arms, or the like shall pay the owner double the value of the goods stolen and be fined twenty-eight dollars.  A person convicted of stealing slaves shall pay to the owner at the rate of eighty dollars per head, which is estimated to be double the value, and fined twenty-eight dollars.  A person convicted of stealing betel, fowls, or coconuts shall pay the owner double the value and be fined seven dollars, half of which fine is to be received by the owner.  If buffaloes are stolen they shall be valued at twelve dollars per head:  padi at four bakul (baskets) for the dollar.  If the stolen goods be found in the possession of a person who is not able to account satisfactorily how he came by them he shall be deemed the guilty person.  If a person

Copyrights
Project Gutenberg
The History of Sumatra from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.