THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 249 



put to death. Should he enter a woman's house, 

 the flames must immediately consume it. We ex- 

 pected a certain seriousness during these sacrifices 

 and. prayers ; and were astonished at the profane 

 disposition which manifested itself; the indecorous 

 sport that was made with the idols ; and the tricks 

 which they delighted to play us during the sacred 

 ceremony. Children show more sedateness in 

 playing with their dolls. 



The restrictive laws of the taboo*, otherwise 

 remain in undiminished power. We ourselves saw 

 the corpse of a woman floating round our ship, 

 who had been killed, because she had entered the 

 eating-house of her husband in a state of drunken- 

 ness. It is, how^ever, said that the women, when 

 they know they are unobserved, make no difficulty 

 of transgressing the many prohibitions to which 

 they are subject. The intercourse with the Euro- 

 peans has not yet had any particular influence on 



* They are known by the voyages of Cook, Vancouver, 

 Turnbul], Lisianskoy, &:c. Three houses necessarily belong to 

 one family; the eating-house of the men is prohibited (taboo) to 

 the u'omen. The residence is common : the women's house is 

 not closed against our sex, but a decorous man will not enter 

 it. Each sex must dress their own victuals, and over a peculiar 

 fire. On ship-board the prohibition (taboo) is less rigorous. 

 The two sexes are not allowed to partake of the flesh of the 

 same animal. Hog's-flesh, (not that of dogs, which is equally 

 valued,) turtle, as also several kinds of fruit, cocoa, banana, «S:c. 

 are taboo for the women. The male attendants of the women 

 are in many respects subject to the same restrictions as them- 

 selves. 



