The third class, that of the _Ordenanças_, consisting of by far the largest portion of the white persons and of free mulatto men of all shades, have for their immediate chiefs the _Capitaens-mores_, who serve without pay, and all the persons who are connected with the _Ordenanças_, are obliged likewise to afford their services gratuitously. Each district contains one _Capitam-mor_, who is invariably a person possessing property in the part of the country to which he is appointed. He is assisted by a major, captains, and _alferes_, who are lieutenants or ensigns, and by sergeants and corporals. The duties of the _Capitam-mor_ are to see that every individual under his command has in his possession some species of arms; either a firelock, a sword, or a pike. He distributes the governor’s orders through his district, and can oblige any of his men to take these orders to the nearest captain, who sends another peasant forwards to the next captain, and so forth, all which is done without any pay. A _Capitam-mor_ can also imprison for twenty-four hours, and send under arrest for trial a person who is accused of having committed any crime, to the civil magistrate of the town to which his district is immediately attached. Now, the abuses of this office of _Capitam-mor_ are very many, and the lower orders of free persons are much oppressed by these great men, and by their subalterns, down to the corporals. The peasants are often sent upon errands which have no relation to public business; for leagues and leagues these poor fellows are made to travel, for the purpose of carrying some private letter of the chief, of his captains, or of his lieutenants, without any remuneration. Indeed, many of these men in place, seldom think of employing their slaves on these occasions, or of paying the free persons so employed. This I have witnessed times out of number; and have heard the peasants in all parts of the country complain: it is a most heavy grievance. Nothing so much vexes a peasant as the consciousness of losing his time and trouble in a service which is not required by his Sovereign. Persons are sometimes confined in the stocks for days together, on some trifling plea, and are at last released without being sent to the civil magistrate, or even admitted to a hearing. However, I am happy to say, that I am acquainted with some men, whose conduct is widely different from what I have above stated; but the power given to an individual is too great, and the probability of being called to an account for its abuse too remote, to insure the exercise of it in a proper manner.