174 GENERAL ACCOUNT OF SOUTH SEA ISLANDS cu. vu 
the names and rank of the different Hatuas, or divinities, the 
origin of the universe and all its parts, etc. This knowledge 
has been handed down to them in set sentences, of which 
those who are clever can repeat an almost infinite number. 
Besides religion, the practice of physic and the knowledge 
of navigation and astronomy is in the possession of the 
priests: the name indeed, Tahowa, signifies a man of 
knowledge, so that even here the priests monopolise the 
greater part of the learning of the country in much the 
same manner as they formerly did in Europe. From their 
learning they gain profit as well as respect, each in his 
particular order ; for each order has priests of its own; nor 
would those of the manahounis do anything for a toutow 
who is below them. 
Marriage in these islands is no more than an agreement 
between man and woman, totally independent of the priest ; 
it is in general, I believe, well kept, unless the parties agree 
to separate, which is done with as little trouble as they came 
together. Few people, however, enter this state, but rather 
choose freedom, though bought at the inhuman expense of 
murdering their children, whose fate is in that case entirely 
dependent on the father, who if he does not choose to 
acknowledge both them and the woman, and engage to con- 
tribute his part towards their support, orders the child to be 
strangled, which is instantly put in execution. 
If our priests have excelled theirs in persuading us that 
marriage cannot be lawful without their benediction having 
been bought, they have done it by intermingling it so far 
with religion that the fear of punishment from above secures 
their power over us; but these untaught persons have 
secured to themselves the profit of two operations without 
being driven to the necessity of so severe a penalty on the 
refusal, viz. tattowing and circumcision; neither of these 
can be performed by any but priests, and as the highest 
degree of shame attaches to the neglect of either, the people 
are as much obliged to make use of them as if bound by the 
highest ties of religion, of which both customs are totally 
independent. They give no reason for the tattowing but 
