As these ranks of the _Grad Flaith_ possessed an increasing amount of stock beyond what their own land could maintain, one great characteristic of the order was their possessing tenants or _Ceile_, that is, persons of the inferior order to whom they gave their surplus stock in return for a food-rent, services, and homage; the gift being termed _Taurcreic_ and the food-rent _Besa_. And as the territorial lords appropriated more and more land of the tribe as individual property, it is obvious that the land remaining for division among the freemen of the tribe must have been proportionately diminished, while the natural increase of the population must have increased the evil. An ancient tract tells us that ‘numerous were the human beings in Ireland at that time (A.D. 658-694), and such was their number that they used not to get but thrice nine ridges for each man in Ireland, viz., nine of bog, and nine of smooth or arable, and nine of wood;’ and we read in the _Lebor na huidre_ that ‘there was not ditch nor fence nor stone wall round land till came the period of the sons of Aed Slane (the same period), but smooth fields. Because of the abundance of the households in their period, therefore it is that they introduced boundaries in Ireland.’[165] Thus, as the land and the wealth in cattle of these _Flaith_ or territorial lords increased, the freemen of the tribe who were still independent became poorer, and their lots diminished, and by degrees they began voluntarily to place themselves under these lords by accepting stock from them, in return for which they became their dependants. Where the _Flath_ contributed merely an addition to the stock of the freeman who already possessed some, he became his _Saer Ceile_ or free tenant, and had to return the value of a third of the stock annually for seven years; and besides this the tenant might be called upon to give certain services termed _Manchaine_, such as assisting in building a fort, reaping the harvest, or going on hostings, and had to pay a food-rent for his house, termed _Bestigi_, likewise did homage on paying his rent, termed _Ureirge_. Where the Flath furnished the entire stock for the tenant he had to give security for its return, and became his _Daer Ceile_ or Bond-tenant, and had to pay a food tribute termed _Biathad_ twice a year.[166]