m a n n e r s left every thing in the old fituation* even the kings or chiefs of
thefe iflands, were alive and -free, had a diftridt to govern, had
honours fhewn them, an d if-w e except the fupreme-power, they
had not much changed their'fituation for the worfe. There is
hardly an inftance of fuch moderation to be found in Europe.
T h e y had however, it feems, fbme notions* that ftrangers might
be treated with lefs friendship) and honefty, than their countrymen,
becaufe no one o f them hefitated a moment to fteal or pilfer any
thing, wherever he could lay his hands-upon it, though they allowed
it to be wrong, and though theft was puniihed in their country
with -hanging or drowning. T h e y were, I believe, likewife in
fome meafure excufable : for why came a fet o f Arrangers there,
who had nothing to do on their ihores ? as they have no Ihipping
or trade, or connexion with foreign nations, or any intercourfe,
or any wants making fuch an intercourfe. neceffary, they could
not forefee that they thould ever want the proteftion: or favour of
any European, and might therefore think' it fuperfiuous to gain
their favour by honefty : but the generality behaved in fo friendly
a manner, as muft endear their tempers and manner's fo all true
lovers and promoters' o f univerfai philanthropy. However, though
we find the illanders in the South Sea not without hofpitality, they
neverthelefs think the ftrangers not quite entitled to all the friend-
fhip and benevolence which they bellow upon their own brethren,
l and
H U M A N S P E C I E S ,
and in this refpeft they, perfedtly refemble all illanders in a lefs
civilized fituation, who commonly have a- Ihy, referved, and
inhofpitable character. Nor are the inhabitants o f the iflands in
the South Sea quite free from a coarfenefs, of manners, even to
indelicacy in many refpedts, efpecially among-the lower clafs of
people * which appears from the difputes o f many o f them, wherein
they fall to beating one another with the lift, and pulling one
another's hair : and the numerous opprobrious names o f toirna,
veheine wba-aturee, aiya, -tahata-taiva, deoe-dooai, tahata-peepee-
ree and others, corroborate this affertionl
T h e more fertile the ille o f Taheitee is, and the more richly it
affords all the neceflaries o f life*, and even thofe things which
contribute to make life eafy and comfortable, the more does it
contribute to the o p u l e n c e of the greater part o f the
inhabitants,- and really but very few are in fuch a fituation;
as to be called p o o r . Whenever we came to this happy illand,
we could evidently perceive the opulence and happinefs o f its
inhabitants* and thofe people o f other South Sea iflands, who
accidentally came to O-Taheitee always allowed it to be the richeft
land, which they had feen. Opulence never fails to excite the
appetite for fenfu-al pleafure, and i f no reftraint is laid on its
gratification, it grows ftronger and ftronger, fo as at laft to
cxtinguilh all the notions o f propriety or decency. This has been
G g g the
MANNERS