Page:Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje - The Achehnese - tr. Arthur Warren Swete O'Sullivan (1906).djvu/102

 considerable fine by the party found to be in the wrong; or suppose again that his mediation is called in for the collection of a debt, and he can prove by examples that the ulèëbalang would not assist the creditor to recover his due without a deduction of one-third or one-half of the amount. Is it to be wondered at that the father of the gampōng impresses emphatically upon his children the advantage of submitting themselves to his decision, and the fairness of giving him for his trouble a small share of what they would otherwise undoubtedly lose?

An esteemed and intelligent keuchiʾ is able to give to these arbitrative decisions (for which he is endowed with full powers) a very wide range, to his own great advantage and yet not to the detriment of the suitors, who know only too well that the judgments they would obtain by resorting to chiefs who have less sympathy in their interests, would be more costly but no whit better than those of the keuchiʾ.

Other services which the keuchiʾ renders to his dependants are performed by him with greater or less readiness and zeal in proportion to the amount of the presents which "cement friendship". The "father" on his part can always make such claims on the good-nature of his "children" as are recognized as lawful. At all gampōng-festivals—and these include the most important family feasts as well—the place of honour is allotted to the keuchiʾ. He has thus no lack of meals for which he has nothing to pay, and in Acheh such trifles form a serious part of the emoluments of office.

Thus we may say upon the whole that the office of the Achehnese keuchiʾ, the "father of the community", is held in high esteem chiefly on account of the honour, but also because of the more solid advantages connected with it.

As subordinates, who are more properly at the keuchiʾs disposition than the people of the gampōng in general, he has his wakis, literally attorneys or deputies.