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tain refpeft {hewn him, which is decent and neceflary, and he is
inverted with a degree o f authority and power, fufficient to enable
him to become beneficial to his fubjedts, without permitting him to
opprefs them; and he can acquire the title o f father of his people,
without ever becoming their tyrant. The chiefs o f diftfidts' are
both a fupport and check to the royal dignity: they form the
great council o f the nation, aflembled on important affairs,, efpe-
cially war and peace : without their confent, the king cannot undertake
any thing which might influence the public peace or
fafety, or punifh any great Lord : without them the king is unable
to execute great atchievements, for i f they lho.uld find him dilpofed
to ahufe his power, they would either refufe to affiA him with, the-
'force o f their diftridt, or they would, perhaps, affoeiate with thofe
whom the king might be willing to opprefs,. and therefore prevent
his progrefs towards defpotifm, by balancing his power, or by op-i
pofing his increafe o f prerogative. T h e war againil the chief o f
Morea, on the ifland o f Imeo, which the Taheiteans propofed to-
carry on, after our departure, and for which we faw fuch great
preparations confirms the truth of this affertion. T h e chiefs o f
each diftridt being fubjedt to the king, dare net opprefs their own
• fubjedts, who, in that cafe would either bring their complaints before
his paramount, or they might form affociations, in order to
defend themfelves againil his rapines, oppreffion and defpotifm.
The
Th e facility o f procuring the néceflaries o f life, and even thofe articles
which are here reckoned to be luxuries ; together with the
humane and benevolent temper o f thefe nations have hitherto happily
prevented the oppreffion of the Toutous; and i f the morals
o f thefe people are not influenced and corrupted by the commerce
and intercourfe with European profligatès, and by the iiitrodudlion
o f new luxuries, which can be procured only by hard labour and
drudgery, the happinefs o f the loweft clafs of people, -will, probably
be o f long continuance ; and forbid it humanity and benevolence,
that any one o f Us Ihould be wicke'd enough to form a
Wilh or a plan to entail mifery and wtetchednefs, on a happy and
harmlefs face o f men !
T h e y have undoubtedly cuftomary laws and regulations relative
to the good order o f their fo'cietres, for the fecurity both of their
property and o f the lives o f individuals, and punifhments which
are inflidted on thofe who tranfgrefs thefe laws, r and difturb the
public peace. A t the time when one o f the natives had llolen
a mulket from a centry at the tents on Point Venus in O-Taheitee,
the centry was carried on board under confinement, and previous
to the punilhment inflidted on him for the negledt of his duty, ,
the articles o f war were read before thé whole {hip’s company
aflembled on deck ; during this ceremony, it is cuftomary for every
body to be uncovered. . Th e natives, among whom weire feme
A a a 2 ° f
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