H 



U 



M 



A 



N 



S 



P 



E 



C 



I 



E 



S. 



411 



felves in fenfual pleafure, the confequeiice was natural, that every manners 

 kind of debau-chery was introduced. 



Thefe fcenes of lewdnefs 



r.everthelefs, could not be at firft very common ; but the children 

 who were born in confequence of this pradice, became the objed: 

 of ferious public coniideration : they had not been born in regular, 

 marriage, nor was it alv/ays poflible to point out the true father j 

 they were therefore deprived of the right of inheritance, on account 

 of the uncertainty of their offspring j but continued to be fliled 

 Areesy and were allowed to belong to the family of chiefs, already 

 grown too numerous, turbulent, and powerful. As thefe chiefs, 

 according to a former obfervation, were the befl warriors of the 

 nations, the great chiefs and fage men thought it prudent to inilitutc 

 an order of men, who fhould have great prerogatives, 

 honours paid to them, and who were to be the chief warriors -, 

 and that they might not be too much attached to their wives and 

 children, they were forbid marriage ', and in the beginning of the 

 inflitution, they were direded to abflain from all kinds of venery, 

 as a pradice that checked the boldnefs of fpirit, and deprived men 

 of that bodily ilrength fo much required in their warriors. 



N 



and great 



This 



fociety is called Arreeoji and is flill fubfiiling ; though fome- 

 what altered from its primitive inflitution. There is no prerogative 

 which a man likes more to boaft of at the Society-iflands, than 



Ggg 2 



that 



