58o 



MANNERS 

 COMPARED 



REMARKS 



ON 



T H E 



'I 



are flaves and drudges among the lavages and barbarians, but upon a- 

 greater equality with the males in Taheitee, and the ifles occupied 



the fair race of men in the South-Sea. Marriage is liept facred- 



■ons whom we found to be monogamous. At 

 we mentioned various inflances of Polygyny^, 



among all thofe 

 the fame time 



of which, the confequence feems to be a greater proportion of wo 



men bornj we endeavoured to point out the moft probabl 

 Polyandry now perhaps exifling at Eafler-ifland.. 



fe oF 



Th 



e young wo 



men at Taheitee,. before marriage", are under no reftridion ; but. 



I 



chaflity after puberty and marriage, is highly honourable. The 

 advantages of education confift chiefly in perpetuating the joint 

 flock of knowledge of our fore-fathers,^ and. making occalional ad- 

 ditions. In Europe,, this knowledge is fub-divided into various 

 branches,, and cannot now be lofl, becaufe the art of printing, fo 



happily difcovered,. is fo univerfally pradifed. But the 



iflanders are conflrained to teach their mechanical arts, efpecially 

 fuch as are neceffary for procuring foodj and conflruding their ha- 



h 



bitations, to every individual from the Prince to the flave. Hiflo- 

 rical records they have none, if we except a few verfes made occa- 

 fionallyto perpetuate the names and adtions of fome individuals. 

 They are acquainted with the polite arts of mufic,, dancing,, and. 



^ 



poetry, of which a few outlinesare given, particularly of their ex- 

 temporaneous yerfes and drama. la defcribing the progrefs they 



5 



have 



/ 



