Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 3.djvu/21

GOVERNMENT. 9 tions would contribute. The cattle of the Indian islands, in common with those of other tropical countries, afford milk in too meagre quantity to sup- - ply a material of subsistence. The sheep does not ex- ist at all ; and had it existed, would have been an animal of very little value ; for its coat is hair, and not wool ; but had it even been the latter, it would have little contributed to the useful necessities of sa- vages, inhabiting a soft and warm climate. The taming of cattle in these countries, therefore, is a considerable effort of civilization; and cattle were in all probability first made subservient to the purposes of agriculture, after that art itself had made consider- able advances. Among many of the savage tribes, who procure some portion of their subsistence from the growing of corn, cattle are still unknown. A tribe which applies the labour of cattle to the pur- poses of husbandry, necessarily adds so greatly to its means of supporting an increasing population, that it cannot long remain stationary. The progress of government, from the simplest form of elective magistracy, to the last verge of despotism, may be traced in its various stages. The office of leader, or chief magistrate, at first elective from the whole body of society, would in time become elective from a privileged fa- mily, and, in course, hereditary in that family. AVars, conquests, and the spoliation of a hostile horde, would soon give a victorious leader such