46 THE LUSHEI CLANS CHAP.

stopped the road. On my asking the chief for an explanation
of such disrespect being permitted, he replied, c On the war-
path or in the council I am chief, and my words are obeyed;
behaviour like that would be punished by death. Here, in the
village, that drunkard is my fellow and equal/ In like
manner any presents given to the chief are common property.
His people walk off with them, saying : c He is a big man, and
will get lots more given to him. Who will give to us if he
does not ?' On the other hand, all that is in his village belongs
to the^ chief; he can and does call upon people to furnish him
with everything that he requires.

" To collect his people, or in fact to authenticate any order,
the chiefs spear, which is usually carved and ornamented, is
sent by a messenger from village to village. Should the message
be a hostile one, the messenger carries a fighting dao, to which
a piece of red cloth is attached. Another method is by the
' phuroi/ which is a species of wand made out of strips of
peeled bamboo, about eight inches long, in this shape (f). If
the tips of the cross pieces be broken, a demand for blackmail
is indicated, a rupee to be levied for each break. If the end
of one of the cross pieces is charred, it implies urgency, and
that the people are to come even by torch light. If a capsicum
be fixed on to the ' phuroi/ it signifies that disobedience to the
order will meet with punishment as severe as the capsicum is
hot. If the cross piece is of cane, it means that disobedience
will entail corporal punishment/'

The "Boi" Custom.—Among the Thados and Chins real
slavery used to exist, and men and women were sold like cattle.
Among the Lushais this has never been the case, but there is a
class known as " boi" who have been miscalled slaves by those
ignorant of their real condition.

Among the Lushais no one but a chief can have boi, who are
divided into the following classes:—

(1) Inpuichhung (Inpui = big house, chhung== within), Lal-
chhung, or Chhungte—viz. those who live in the big house or
chiefs house, (ii.) chemshen boi (chem = dao, shen=red);
(iii.) tuklut boi (tuk = promise, lut = to enter). The first class
consist of all those who have been driven by want of food to
take refuge in the chiefs house. Widows, orphans, and others