H 



U 



M 



A 



N 



S 



P 



E 



C 



I 



E 



S. 



433 



reafon for excluding them for ever from the married ftate ; but thefe manners 

 nations think of fuch favours in a different light. If the birth of 

 a child ihould happen to be the confequence, the youth is reputed 

 the father, and the parents are entitled to all the privileges of 

 regular marriages 5 if they have no iffue, the female is not ftamped 



i 



with ignominy for fuch a trefpafs, but is always reputed capable 

 of joining in matrimony with the befl: men of the nation. 



yam proterva 



Tronfe pefef Lalage maritiim 

 D He 51 a 



Horat. 1. ii. ode 



5 



xAifter marriage thefe very perfons keep their compadt with a 



h 



r - J 



chaftity and fidelity which are highly meritorious. 



When we were the fecond time at O-Raiedea, the chief of 



r 



0-Taha, called Boba, came frequently to vifit us -, one day being on 

 board, he faw his iiflers coming towards the fhip in a canoe, and 

 pointing to his younger fifler, defired me as foon as fhe came on 

 deck, to fay to ]iqv yVeheina-poowa ; I did fo, not knowing what would 

 be the confequence, and her elder fifler immediately lifted up the gar- 

 ments of the younger, fhewing that fhe had the marks of puberty. 

 Whenilie had done this two or three times, flie refufed to ^o through 



\ 



y 



the fame ceremony again. I then enquired more carefully 



the 



t> 



this tranfacftion, and learnt, that in 



icfe 



fie 



kind of reproach, or want of dignity not to be of age 



K k k 



and to be 



deflitutc 



