p r i n c i - 'and fafety o f their parents. Th e injundtions o f the parents were
union° F * xecüted> a readinefs and truly .exemplary âffedtion. T h e
father feemed to.be the foul which animated the whole body o f the
. family by his fuperior wifdom, benevolence and experience j in a
a word, they all aflift one another, and contribute their ihare
,o f offices and labour, towards - the. fupport, fecurity and happinefs
o f the whole family.
I f lèverai families find the wifdom, experience, - valour, and
..benevolence o f one head o f a family .to be fuperipr to thofe of
the reft, they all look .upon him as.their.common.father, they
..fubm.it to his advice as to.injunctions, and his councils become as
.facred and inviolable as laws. T h is voluntary union into one great
.family, diffufes through them all..that attachment, and benevolence,
.that fpirit o f order and regularity, which are the true promoters
o f morality, and univerfal happinefs. I f the.fon o f -this, chief has
ikill, addrefs and benevolence enough to tread in his fathers foot-
.fteps, he fucceeds his father in authority, and thus a fociety
gradually accuftom themfelves to look upon their chiefs with
reverence, and accept the pofterity o f an equitable, benevolent
v leader, for their hereditary chief. As all the ..regulations for the
.weal o f the fociety are chiefly iflued by this ruler, as he is foremoft
in defending their liberty and property ^gainft any. daring invader
«of their common right, as he decides between man and man in
^5 private
private difagreements, and puniihes the. wanton difturbers of p r i n c i -
public peace, all the authority o f the whole community, centers.
in him ; and as many advantages accrue to him on different occa-
fions and opportunities offer o f making acquifitions of property,
either by the voluntary, general contributions, o f all the inferior
members o f the community, or by the adminiftration and diftri-
bution o f the public property and wealth, it may be expedted that he
will become poffeffed o f a greater Ihare o f wealth than any o f the reft,
which muft gradually give him more influence and greater power :
his family no doubt participate o f this power, influence, and wealth,
and confequently form a clafs o f people diftindt from the commons.
I f the fociety is attacked or injured by another fociety, and all
unite to avert the injuries, to repel violence, and to retaliate upon
the invaders and difturbers o f the peace, the fame wrongs which
they intended to inflidt ; it is. natural to fuppofe, that upon a very
great .provocation, and a . confequently greater exertion o f power,
they may become vidtorious, which muft, o f courfe, make the condition
o f the vanquiflied tribe, inferior to that o f the loweft o f the
vidtorious community, and create a new rank of people in their
fociety. Thefe feem to be the confequences o f matrimonial union,
o f paternal authority, and the more general authority o f a chief of
a fociety, and the origin of ranks in O-Taheitee, the Society, and
Friendly Iiles.
Z z The