daughter-in-law, and had fo u gh t a battle with the oppoiite
party, in w h ich Taheeterree was worfted. We afterward
underftood, that matters had been compromifed, and that
Taheeterree is to have the pofleiEon o f the three n e igh bouring
iflands d uring his life ; that Teewarro is acknowledged
the C h ie f o f Mowee, and w ill alfo fucceed to the
kingdom o f Owhyhee on the death o f Ter re eo b o o ; and alfo
to the fovereignty o f the three iflands, contiguous to Mowee,
on the death o f Taheeterree. T eewarro has been lately
married to his h a lf lifte r; and ihould he die withou t iffue,
the government o f thefe iflands defcends to Maiha maiha,
whom we have often had occafion to mention, he be in g the
fon o f Kaihooa, the deceafed brother o f Terreeoboo. Should
he alfo die with ou t iffue, they could not tell who would fucceed
; for the two youn g eil fons o f Terreeoboo, one o f whom
he appears to be exceedingly fond of, being born o f a w o man
o f no rank, would, from this circumflance, be debarred
all right o f fucceflion. We had not an opportunity o f feein
g queen Rora-rora, whom Terreeoboo had le ft behind at
M ow e e ; but w e have already had occafion to take notice-,
that he was accompanied b y Kanee Kaberaia, the mother
o f the two youths, -to whom he was ve ry much attached.
From this account o f the g en ea log y o f the Owhyhee and
Mowee monarchs, it is pretty clear that the government is
hereditary; w h ich alfo makes it ve ry probable, that the inferior
titles, and property itfelf, defcend in the fame courfe.
With regard to Perreeorannee, we could only learn, that h e
is an Eree T a b o o that he was invading the pofleifion o f T a heeterree,
but on what pretence w e were not informed*
and that his grandfons governed the iflands to leeward.
T he power o f the Erees over the inferior clafles o f people
appears to be ve ry abfolute. Many inftances o f this occu
r red
curred daily d uring our flay amongit them, and have been
already related. T h e people, on the other hand, pay them 1----
the mod implicit o b ed ien ce ; and this ftate o f fervility has
manifeftly had a great effe ft in debafing both their minds
and bodies. It is, however, remarkable, that the Chiefs
were never gu ilty , as fa r at leaf! as came within my kn ow ledge,
o f any a£ts o f cruelty or injuftice, or even o f infolenc
behaviour toward them ; though, at the fame time, they
exercifed their power over one another in the moil h au gh ty
and oppreifive manner. O f this I fhall giv e two inftances.
A C h ie f o f- th e lower order had behaved with great civility
to the mailer o f the Chip, w h en he went to examine Kara-
kakooa bay, the day before the ihip firft arrived there ; and,
in return, I afterward carried him on board, and introduced
h im to Captain Cook, who invited him to dine with us.
W h ile we were at table, Pareea entered, whofe face but too.
plainly manifefted his indignation, at fee ing our gueft in fo
honourable a fituation. He immediately feized him b y the
hair o f the head, and was proceeding to drag him out o f
the cabin, w hen the Captain interfered ; and, after a great
deal o f altercation, all the indulgence w e could obtain,
without comin g to a quarrel with Pareea, was, that our gu elt
ihould be fuffered to remain, being feated upon the floor,
w hilft Pareea filled his place at the table. At another time,
w hen Terreeoboo firft came on board the Refolution, Mai-
ha-maiha, who attended him, finding Pareea on deck, turned
h im out o f the ihip in the moil ignominious manner ; and
y e t Pareea, we certainly kn ew , to be a man o f the firft con-
fequence.
H ow far the property o f the lower clafs is fecured againft:
the rapacity and defpotifm o f the great Chiefs, I cannot fay.
hut it ihould fe.em, that it is fufficiently protected againft.
i. . private: -