THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 165 



cunity of obferving of the domeftic concerns of the lowefl W9- 

 clafs, the houfe feemed to be under the direction of one man 

 and woman, and the children' in the like ftate of fubordina- 

 tion as in civilized countries. 



It will not be improper, in this place, to take notice, that 

 we were eye-witnefTes of a fad:, which, as it was the only in- 

 ffance we faw of any thing like jealoufy among them, mews, 

 at the fame time, that not only fidelity, but a degree of re- 

 ferve, is required from the married women of confequence: 

 At one of the entertainments of boxing, Omeah was ob- 

 ferved to rife from his place two or three times, and to go 

 up to his wife with ftrong marks of difpleafure, ordering 

 her, as it appeared to us from his manner, to withdraw. 

 Whether it was, that being very handfome, he thought fhe 

 drew too much of our attention, or without being able to 

 determine what other reafon he might have for his conduct:* 

 it is but juftice to fay, that there exifted no real caufe of 

 jealoufy. However, fhe kept her place ; and when the en- 

 tertainment was over, joined our party, and foliciting fome 

 trifling prefents, was given to underiland, that we had none 

 about us ; but that if fhe would accompany us toward our 

 tent, fhe fhould return with fuch as me liked heft. She was 

 accordingly walking along with us ; which Omeah obferv- 

 ing, followed in a violent rage, and feizing her by the hair, 

 began to inflict, with his fifts, a fevere corporal punifhment.' 

 This light, efpecially as we had innocently been the caufe of 

 it, gave us much concern ; and yet we were told, that it. 

 would be highly improper to interfere between man and. 

 wife of fuch high rank. We were, however, not left with^-- 

 out the confolation of feeing the natives at laft interpofej 

 and had the farther fatis faction of meeting them together 

 the next day, in perfect good-humour with each other ; and 

 4 what. 



