4o€ A V O Y A G E T O 



■"^rr- It does nor, indeed, appear, that any of the moft civil- 



July. ... 



ized nations, have ever exceeded this people, in the great 

 order obferved, on all occafions ; in ready compliance with 

 the commands of their Chiefs ; and in the harmony that 

 fubfiils throughout all ranks, and unites them, as if they 

 were all one man, informed with, and directed by, the fame 

 •principle- Such a behaviour is remarkably obvious, when- 

 ever it is requifire that their Chiefs il^ouid harangue any 

 body of them collecfled together, which is fiequently done. 

 The mofl: profound fdence and attention is obferved during 

 the harangue, even to a much greater degree than is prac- 

 .tifed amongft us, on the moft interefting and ferious deli- 

 berations of our moft refpeftable aflemblies. And, what- 

 ever might have been the fubjecfl of the fpeech delivered, 

 we never faw an inftance, when any individual prefenr, 

 Hiewed figns of his being difpleafed, or that indicated the 

 leaft inclination to difpute the declared will of a perfon who 

 had a right to command. Nay, fuch is the force of thefe 

 verbal laws, as I may call them, that I have feen one of 

 their Chiefs exprcfs his being aftoniflied, at a perfon's hav- 

 ing a6ted contrary to fuch orders ; though it appeared, that 

 the poor man could net pofFibly have been informed, in 

 time, to have obferved them *. 



Though foroe of the more potent Chiefs may vie with the 

 king in point of adlual pofTeflions, they fall very fhort in 

 rank, and in certain marks of rcfpe(5t, which the colleclivc 

 body have agreed to pay the monarch. It is a particular 

 privilege annexed to his fovereignty, not to be punfiured, 



* Cantova gives us tiie fame accouiirt of the profound fubmiffioii of the Caroline 

 Iflanders, to the orders of the Tmnole. " lis resolvent fes ordres avec le plus pro- 

 <' fond refpeft. Ses paroles font autant d'oracles, qu'on revere." 



l,ettres EcUJiantds ^ Cuileufes, Tom, xv. p. 312- 



nor 



