THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 157 



hend. When we inquired into the reafons of it, we could ^ 1777- 



December. 



get no other anfwer, but that it is right and necefTary that < ,— ^ 



it fliould be fo. 



In other cufloms refpedling the females, there feems to 

 be no fuch obfcurity ; efpecially as to their conneflions 

 with the men. If a young man and woman, from mutual 

 choice, cohabit, the man gives the father of the girl fuch 

 things as are necclTary in common life; as hogs, cloth, or 

 canoes, in proportion to the time they arc together j and 

 if he thinks that he has not been fufficiently paid for his 

 daughter, he makes no fcruple of forcing her to leave her 

 friend, and to cohabit with another perfon who may be 

 more liberal. The man, on his part, is always at liberty to 

 make a new choice ; bur, fliould his confort become preg- 

 nant, he may kill the child ; and, after that, either continue 

 his conneiflion with the mother, or leave her. But if he 

 Ihould adopt the child, and fufler it to live, the parties are 

 then confidered as in the married ftate, and they commonly 

 live together ever after. However, it is thought no crime 

 in the man to join a more youthful partner to his firft wife, 

 and to live with both. The cullom of changing their con- 

 nections is, however, much more general than this laft;. 

 and it is a thing fo common, that they fpeak of it with great- 

 indifference. . The Erreocs are only thole of the better fort, 

 who, from their ficklenefs, and their poflefling the means 

 of purchafing a fucceffion of frcfli connections, are con- • 

 Itantly roaming about ; and, from having no particular at- 

 tachment, feldom adopt the more fettled method mentioned 

 above. And fo agreeable is this licentious plan of life to ■ 

 their difpofition, that the moft beautiful of both fexes thus 

 commonly fpend their youthful days, habituated to the 

 practice of enormities which would difgrace the moft favage 

 tribes ; but are peculiarly fhocking amongft a people whofe 



general 



