158 A V O Y A G E T O 



'779- private theft, or mutual depredation. For not only their 



March. r 



u — / — «/ plantations, which are fp - <ad over the whole country, but 

 alfo their houfes, their hogs, and their cloth, were left un- 

 guarded, without the fmallefl apprehensions. 1 have al- 

 ready remarked, that they not only feparate their poflef- 

 fions by walls in the plain country, but that, in the woods 

 likewife, wherever the horfe-plantains grow, they make ufe 

 of fmall white flags, in the fame manner, and for the fame 

 purpofe of discriminating property, as they do bunches of 

 leaves at Otaheite. All which circumftances, if they do not 

 amuunt to proofs, are flrong indications that the power of 

 the Chiefs, where property is concerned, is not arbitrary ; 

 but, at leaft, fo far circumfcribed and afcertained, as to 

 make it worth the while for the inferior orders to cultivate 

 the foil, and to occupy their poflemons diftinct from each 

 other. 



With refpect to the adminiftration of juflice, all the in- 

 formation we could collect was very imperfect and con- 

 fined. Whenever any of the lowed clafs of people had a 

 quarrel amongfl themfelves, the matter in difpute was re- 

 ferred to the decifion of fome Chief, probably the Chief of 

 the district, or the perfon to whom they appertained. If an 

 inferior Chief had given caufe of offence to one of a higher 

 rank, the feelings of the latter at the moment feemed the 

 only meafure of his puniihment. If he had the good for- 

 tune to cfcapc the firft tranfports of his fuperior's rage, he 

 generally found means, through the mediation of fome 

 third perfon, to compound for his crime by a part or the 

 whole of his property and effects. Thefe were the only 

 facts that came to our knowledge on this head. 



The religion of thefe people rcfembles,in mod of its prin- 

 cipal features, that of the Society and Friendly Iflands. 



Their 



