46 NATURAIj history OF HAWAII. 



the sick sometimes left to die of neglect or, less frequently, were put to death 

 by their relatives. 



Descent op Rank. 



While the descent of rank through the female line gave women a place of 

 unquestioned importance, in their social scheme and often elevated her to the 

 highest positions in the political order, it did not save her from certain forms 

 of social degradation directed irrevocably at all her sex. For example, her sex 

 was excluded from the interior of their chief lieiaus. At birth she was more un- 

 welcome than her brother and more liable to be summarily sent to the grave. 

 She was the ob.iect of the most oppressive of the regulations of the tabu system. 

 She must not eat with men or even taste food from an oven that had been used 

 in preparing food for them. She was not allowed in the men's eating houses, 

 and several of the choicer food products of the islands were absolutely forbidden 

 her. Such delicacies, for example, as turtle, pork, certain kinds of fish, 

 cocoanuts and bananas, were reserved by the tabu for the exclu.sive use of the 

 male sex. But as a sort of compensation the men attended to the preparation 

 and cooking of the food, and women were allowed the privilege of accompanying 

 and aiding their husbands and brothers in battle. They could manufacture 

 bark cloth withoiit fear of competition by the men, and tlicy could engage in 

 the practice of medicine, as they understood it. on iMHial terms with the sterner 

 sex. 



The T.\bu. 



Reference has just been made to their tabu system. A cursory examination 

 of it will show what a far-reaching, serious and exceedingly complicated system 

 of penal exactions and regulations it was. No one, not even the king, was alto- 

 gether free frcmi its influence, and the common people were made to bow to its 

 dictation at ever.y turn of their d;iily lives. As an institution, the s.vstem was 

 both religious and political, in that the violation of the tabu i was a sin as 

 well as a i-rime. As a punishment for its infraction the offender was liable to 

 bring down the wrath of the gods, and they were numerous, as well as bring 

 about his own death, which was often inflicted in an exceedingly cruel and bar- 

 barous manner. This extraordinary institution, although common throughout 

 Polynesia, was worked out to a finer detail, and more sternly enforced in Hawaii, 

 perhaps, than in any of the Pacific islands. For the present purpose it would be 

 tedious to sketch the system in anything more than a giMieriil v:;\y. Suffice to 

 say that the tabu was the supreme law of the laud. In its final analysis it was a 

 system of religious prohibition founded on fear and super.stition, the interpreta- 

 tion and use of which was in the hands of a powerful and unscrupulous priest- 

 hood, the kahunas, who in their palmy days were supported M'ith all the physical 

 power that the kings and influential chiefs could bring to bear. 



Some of the tabus were fixed and permanent, being well undei-st 1 liy all 



the people. !\Iany such ther(> were relating to the seasons, to the gods and to 



