U6 



Their principal amusement was gaming, antl this tliey 

 pursued to such excess as to stake even tlieir own personal 

 liberty, and steadily maintained their engagements. To 

 gratitude they were absolute strangers, but their liospitality 

 was boundless and indiscriminate. 



Injuries were avenged by the injured family, but even ho- 

 micide might be compensated by a certain number of sheep 

 or cattle. 



See Tacitus de Moribus Germanorum, and 1 Gibbon, 545. 



Of the Otaheitans, 



Otaheite being situated in a delightful and healthy climate, 

 its inhabitants enjoy more happiness than any people hither- 

 to mentioned except the Peruvians. Their happiness howe- 

 ver is wholly of the sensual kind, and debased by various 

 criminal practices, partly of the savage and partly of the 

 barbarian kind. 



They consist of three classes of men, the nobility or chiefs, 

 freemen and common people or servants, who are held in 

 the lowest and most degrading servitude, but the principal 

 authority resides in a king stiled Eree di hoi. 



Their 



