iflands o f thofe feas, from approaching. Mention hath been
already made, that women are always tabooed, or forbidden,
to eat certain kind o f meats. We alfo freq u en tly faw fe-
veral at their meals, w h o had the meat put into their
mouths by others ; and on our a lk in g the reafon o f this Angu
lar ity , were told, that they were tabooed, or forbidden, to
feed themfelves. T his prohibition, w e underftood, was
a lwa y s laid on them, after they had aflifted at any fun eral,
or touched a dead body, and alfo on other occafions. It is
neceffary to obferve, that, on thefe occafions, the y apply
the word taboo indifferently both to perfons and things.
T h u s they fay, the natives were tabooed, or the bay was tabooed,
and fo o f the reft. This word is alfo ufed to exprefs
any thing facred, or eminent, or devoted. T h u s the k in g
o f Owhyhee was called Eree-tabso ; a human v iftim , tangata
taboo; and, in the fame manner, among the Friendly lilanders,.
T on g a, the ifland where the k in g refides, is named 'Tonga-
taboo.
Concerning their marriages, I can afford the reader little-
farther fatisfafkion, than in fo rming him, that fuch a relation-
or compaft exifts amongft them. I have already had occa-
fion to mention, that at the time Terreeoboo had le ft his.
queen Rora Rora at Mowee, he was attended by another woman,
by whom he had children, and to whom he was ve ry
m uch attached ; but how fa r polyg amy, properly fpeaking,
is allowed, or how far it is mixed with concubinage, either
w ith refpedl to the k in g , the Chiefs, or among the in fe rio r
orders, too few fa ils came to our knowledge to juftiry any
conclufions. It hath alfo been obferved, that, except Kainee
Kabareea, and the w ife o f the Orono, with three women
whom I fliall have occafion hereafter to mention, we never
faw any female o f h ig h rank. From what I had an. opportunity
trinity o f obferving o f the domeftic concerns o f the loweft ¿ 77%
clafs, the houfe feemed to be under the d ir e a io n o f one man '---- .—
and woman, and the children in the like ftate o f fubordina-
tion as in. civilized countries.
It w ill not be improper, in this place, to take notice, th a t
we w ere eye-witneffes o f a fadl, which, as it was the only in-
ftance w e faw o f any thin g lik e jea lou fy among them, ihews,
at the fame time, that not on ly fidelity, but a degree o f re-
ferve, is required from the married w om en .o f confequence;
At one o f the entertainments o f boxing, Gmeah was obferved
to rife from his place two or three times, and to go-
up to his w ife w ith ftrong marks o f difpleafure, ordering
her, as it appeared to us from his manner, to withdraw.
Whether it was, that b e in g v e ry handfome, he thought fhe
drew too much o f our attention, or without being able to
determine what other reafon he might have for his conduit,
it is but juftice to fay, that there exifted no real caufe o f
jealoufy. However, flie kept her p la c e ; and when the entertainment
was over, joined our party, and foliciting-fome
trifling prefents, was given to underftand, that we had none
about us ; but that i f fhe would accompany us-toward our
tent, fhe ihould return with fuch as fhe liked belt. She was-
accordingly w a lk in g a long with us ; w h ich Omeah obfervin
g, followed in a violent rage, and fe iz in g her by the h a ir ,,
began to in fliil, with his fifts, a fevere corporal punifhment.
T h is fight, efpecially as we had innocently been the caufe o f
it, gave us much con ce rn ; and yet w e were told, that it-
wou ld be h ig h ly improper, to interfere between man and-
w ife o f fuch high rank. We were, however, not le ft.w ith out
the confolation o f feeing the natives, at laft interpofe;
and had the farther fadsfadlion o f meeting them, together
the next day, in perfedt good-humour with each o ther; and
4 what;