THIRD VOYAGE 409 



of the thinnest and finest sort of cloth, wrapt several times 

 round the waist, and descending to the leg, so to have the 

 appearance of a full short petticoat. 



" The way of spending their time appears to be very 

 simple, and to admit of little variety. They rise with the 

 sun, and after enjoying the cool of the evening, retire to rest 

 a few hours after sunset. The making of canoes and mats 

 forms the occupation of the earees ; the women are em- 

 ployed in manufacturing cloth, and the towtows are 

 principally engaged in the plantations and fishing. 



" Their music is of a rude kind, having neither flutes nor 

 reeds, nor instruments of any other sort that we saw, except 

 drums of various sizes. But their songs, which they sung in 

 parts, and accompany with a gentle motion of the arms, in 

 the same manner as the Friendly Islanders, had a very 

 pleasing effect. 



" The people of these islands are manifestly divided into 

 three classes. The first are the earees, or chiefs of each 

 district, one of whom is superior to the rest, and is called 

 at Owhyhee earee-taboo and earee-moee. By the first of 

 these words they express his absolute authority ; and by the 

 latter all are obliged to prostrate themselves (or put them- 

 selves to sleep, as the word signifies) in his presence. The 

 second class are those who appear to enjoy a right of 

 property without authority. The third are the tow-tows, or 

 servants, who have neither rank nor property. 



" The chiefs exercise their power over one another in the 

 most haughty and oppressive manner. Of this I shall give 

 two instances. A chief of the lower order had behaved 

 with great civility to one of our officers, and in return I 

 carried him on board and introduced him to Captain Cook, 

 who invited him to dine with us. While we were at table, 

 Pareea, who was chief of a superior order, entered, whose 

 face but too plainly manifested his indignation at seeing 

 our guest in so honourable a situation. He immediately 

 seized him by the hair of the head, and was proceeding to 

 drag him out of the cabin when the Captain interfered, and, 

 after a deal of altercation, all the indulgence we could 

 obtain, without coming to a quarrel with Pareea, was, that 

 our guest should be suffered to remain, being seated upon 

 the floor, whilst Pareea filled his place at the table. At 

 another time, when Terreeoboo first came on board the 

 Resolution, Maiha-maiha, who attended him, finding Pareea 

 on deck, turned him out of the ship in the most igno- 

 minious manner. 



" The religion of these people resembles, in most of its 

 principal features, that of the Society and Friendly Islands. 

 Their morais, their whattas, their idols, their sacrifices, and 



