p r i n o i - property in thefe ifles, In the Marquelas and Eafter-ifland, there
s o c i e - was hardly a diffinftion obfervable between the- magiftrate.and th«
t i e s , fubjeft ; they had the name o f the dignity, they had fome' attendance,
and were, on the arrival o f flrangers, better drelfed; but
their authority, i f we may judge, from the few Alliances, we'could
obferve during our Ihort interviews- with thefe people, feemed to
be more fimilar to the advice o f a benevolent parent, than te the
imperious diftates o f a king. In the more Wellern illes o f Mah-
licollo, Tanna,'and^New-Caledonia, we obferved Iikewile chiefs-,
under the denominations Aleeghee or Areekee, but they were, upon
the whole, not diftinguiihed from their fubjefts, by rank or authority,
and fee n to enjoy only an hereditary titlej and as to'the
laws o f thefe people, we are not prefumptuous enough to talk o f
things, which we had neither opportunities, nor time,'nor fuffi-
cient knowledge o f the language to obferve. Th e y had plantations
in thefe ifles, and we faw that feveral fmall families'cleared fpots o f
ground for that purpofe, and it is very natural to fuppofe that they
likewife reap the fruits of their labours. In general it appeared to
us, that O-Taheitee and- the duller o f high ifles in its neighbourhood,
were the only fpots where civilization had made lome pro-
grefs, and where thefe advantages were not again over-balanced by
defetts in the conllitution or government. I cannot difmifs this
fubjeft without obferving, that though the tropical ifles o f the
South-
38t
South-Sea,.never may, perhaps, be fo unhappy, i f left to them-, e r i n c i -
PLES OF
Ifelves, as to be again degraded to. a more dëbafed-condition ; they S0CIE_
will on the other hand, never be able to nlake, unaffilled, any great t i e s ..
or rapid progrefs towards a higher, dvilization, or more improved,
condition,, becauflb. the. fmall lize o f their ifles will not admit, of
thefe improvements : and- in cafe they Ihould attempt to make con-
quefts and unite feveràl fmall iflands into one political body ; many
centuries-mull elapfe before the little jealoulies betweén the van-
quifhed people and the conquerors will wear off,;and by a happy,
coalition one powerful-nation can be ellablilhed ; which, however,,
is abfolutely required, i f they are to make large llrides towards improvement
in fcience, morality,- arts, manufactures, or hulbandry.
and-thus together- form one great feene. of happinèfs.
C H A P .