wife cut her hc&d with it ill.1 rit s tooth, and received the
blood on a bit of cloth ; and both wept and fobbed aloud together
for fome time. However when they had concluded
this ceremony, they were as merry as if nothing had happened.
We were confined to his houfe by heavy fhowers
of rain till noon, when we returned to the fliip, which was
now brought into a narrow creek, where Ihe lay clofe to
the Chore, for the convenience of watering.
We walked along this creek in the afternoon, as far as
the intermittent fhowers would permit. The Chore was
lined with innumerable canoes, whilft every houfe and flied
was crouded with people, many of whom were preparing
large and luxurious dinners, from heaps of provifions which
were every where accumulated. We were told that a peculiar
fociety or order of perfons of both fexes, named Ar-
reoy, exifted in thefe iflands ; and that they aflembled at
times from all parts, and travelled through all the iflands,
feafting and caroufing to excefs. During the time we lay
at Huahine, we had obferved no lefs than feventy canoes,
with more than feven hundred of thefe arreoys on board,
crofling over to Raietea in one morning.. We were told that
they had fpent a few days on the eaft fide of the ifland, and
were arrived on its weftern Chore only a day or two before
us. We took notice that they were all perfons of fome con-
fequence, and of the race of chiefs. Some of the men were
punctured in large broad blotches ; and Mahine allured us,
thefe
I 2 <)
thefe were the molt eminent members of the fociety, and
that the more they were covered with puniftures, the
higher was their rank. They were in general flout and
well made, and all profefied themfelves warriors. Mahine
had a very high veneration for this fociety, and told us he
himfelf was a member. They are united by the ties of reciprocal
friendlhip, and exercife hofpitality towards each
other in its greateft latitude. As foon as an arreoy vifits another,
though he were unknown to him, he is fure to have
his wants fupplied, and his defires gratified; he is introduced
to other members of the order, and they vie with each
other in loading him with carefies and prefents. It was to
this principle that Mahine aferibed all the pleafures which
he had enjoyed at Taheitee. The firft people who faw him
on board were arreoys according to his account, and in that
quality made him a prefent of their garments, fince he had
no other than European cloaths. It appears, that one or
more perfons of each little family of chiefs enter into this
community, of which the invariable and fundamental
character is, that none of its members are permitted to have
any children, from the accounts of the moft intelligent
among the natives, we have great room to fuppofe, that the
original inftitution required their living in perpetual celibacy.
As this law was too repugnant to the impulfes of
nature, which muft be uncommonly ftrong in their climate,
they foon tranfgrefied it ; but preferved the intention of the
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