76 Of the Checks to Population in Bk. i. 



conduct themselves do not in any respect lower 

 their rank in society, but mix indiscriminately 

 with those of the most virtuous character.* 



The common marriages in Otaheite are without 

 any other ceremony than a present from the man 

 to the parents of the girl. And this seems to be 

 rather a bargain with them for permission to try 

 their daughter, than an absolute contract for a 

 wife. If the father should think that he has not 

 been sufficiently paid for his daughter, he makes 

 no scruple of forcing her to leave her friend, and 

 to cohabit with another person who may be more 

 liberal. The man is always at liberty to make 

 a new choice. Should his consort become preg- 

 nant, he may kill the child, and, after that, con- 

 tinue his connexion with the mother, or leave her, 

 according to his pleasure. It is only when he 

 has adopted a child and suffered it to live, that 

 the parties are considered as in the marriage 

 state. A younger wife however may afterwards 

 be joined to the first; but the changing of con- 

 nexions is much more general than this plan, and 

 is a thing so common that they speak of it with 

 great indifference.! Libertinism before marriage 

 seems to be no objection to an union of this kind 

 ultimately. 



The checks to population from such a state of 

 society would alone appear sufficient to counteract 

 the effects of the most delightful climate, and the 

 most exuberant plenty. Yet these are not all. 



* Cook's Second Voyage, vol. i. p. 187. 

 f Id. Third Voyage, vol. ii. p. 157. 



