Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 3.djvu/97

 LAWS. 83 police, Tumangungy over the affairs of the coun- try generally, and over beggars, destitute persons and orphans ; — ^that of the admiral, Laksimana, over all maritime affairs, and all the concerns of the dependent provinces of the state ; — and that of the Intendant of the Port, Shahba?ida? over the affairs of the port, over all merchants, and over all strangers." The most remarkable of these is the authority delegated to the admiral. He is declared to be " the king" when at sea, and then to have the power of life and death. It is singular that this power is not confined to this superior naval officer alone, but expressly belongs by law even to the master of a trading-vessel. The following law, from the Malacca collection, specifies all the officers or persons to whom this dangerous power is en- trusted : " The persons who have the power of inflicting the punishment of death are the mini- ster, Bandahara, in the absence of the king, or within his own particular jurisdiction, (literally his own river,) — the minister of police, Tumnngtmg, when engaged in apprehending criminals, — the admiral, Lalvsimamij when in the harbour, and he is disobeyed, or when on the high-seas,' — and the commander of a trading-vessel when he is at sea, for he is then as the Icing. But the authority of this latter extends only to the great crimes of takinjr another man's wife or concubine, or me- ditating to run a muck."