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o f the king’s relations, obferving that fomething extraordinary was
going forward,, were particularly curious to know what the long
para-parou, or fpeech dignified; I told them it was the word of the
great king of our nation ; upon which they all agreed among them-
felves that it was M eer a ; which I fuppofe from the above eireum-
ftances to fignify law, or regulation. T h e y frequently told
us that they killed thieves, by hanging a large Hone to their necks
and drowning them in the fea : however, in a. nation which has lb
much innocence and benevolence*, andfo few- wants, the greater par-t
o f which, may very-ealily be fafcisfied, this crime mult be rare.. Murder
feems to be a crime unknown among th em th o u g h . we frequently
law fome o f them difagree, and fight, yet thehyllanders were always
ready to part them, in order to prevent further mifchief,.. and their
hearts are not yet degraded to that degree o f degeneracy and bale-
nefs, as to permit them to poilpone vengeance to another time,
and to lay a plan in cool blood, and in. a deliberate manner, to
execute it with more certainty and fecurity to. themfelves. Like
true children o f nature, their pallions,. the great principles of
felf-prefervation and defence, prompt them to punilh and repel
their real or imaginary wrongs, and as foon- as they have. Ihewed
that they are not deftitute- of a noble refentment, they yield to the
endeavours of their brethren to ellabliih peace and harmony, and
are as eafily reconciled to their antagonifts.
Among
3 65
Among the chiefs, inftances o f matrimonial infidelity are to be p r in -c i -
p f jr g Q B*
met with, which feem therefore, as in Europe, to be the vicious 80Ci e -
prerogative attached to rank and dignity. T h e natives told us, t i e s .
that adultery -is punilhed. w ith death among them, but we lawn©
inftances o f it, and thole on.the part o f the hulband which came
to my knowledge, were.no.further punilhed, than, that the juftly
exafperated wife, Juno like, treated .her hulband, with all the-flow
o f bad language Hie was. miftrefs o f, and. that-ftie in grea tha fte and
wrath .imparted fame hows on the ear to the fair one, whom. the
found delirous o f encroaching upon her prerogative rights..
The fe happy, idles have almoft. every, article necellary for- the
fupply.of: their wants > neverthelels their manners are already fo far
polilhed, that they, like to be poffefled o f fome articles - chiefly- o f
ornaments . and luxury,. w h ich . they cannot meet with In their
own ille;. or at leaft,: not in fuch plenty as in others - fituated in the
neighbourhood. Bora-bora,. and O-Tahaw, are. both well provided
with coco-nut-palms, from which they manufacture an oil, well
known in th e . Eaft. Indies j the inhabitants of Taheitee and its
neighbourhood, ule this oil perfumed, by means o f various
odoriferous plants,. and. aromatic woods, as an article o f luxury
to ftain and to perfume their cloth, and even their hair,. and fome-
times their bodies. As the coco-nut-trees are not fo plentiful in
O-Taheitce as to enable the inhabitants to prepare a quantity o f
'oil,..