64 
PORTER’S JOURNAL, 
forced by the powerful charm of a whale’s tooth could at all times 
purchase the favours of the best of them. When they had gained 
their prize they could not refrain from boasting of it to their con¬ 
fidants, and in time it came to the ears of the lady who supposed 
she had the strongereclaim to the tooth; this produced an act of 
retaliation on her part, not to injure her lover, but to mortify the 
lady who had infringed on her prerogatives. It is true they are 
not insensible to jealousy, but this feeling is confined altogether 
to the females, who watch as carefully the conduct of their lovers 
as the niost jealous Don the wanderings of his spouse. She 
appears much offended if he show any attention to another fe¬ 
male, and claims him exclusively as her own: whether this pro¬ 
ceeds from motives of interest, which leads them to believe that 
all the little tie ties which he has to bestow should in time fall to 
them, or from custom, which gives to the females of this island a 
privilege which is supposed to be confined only to the men in other 
countries, I cannot say, but perhaps from both. The young girls 
of this island are the wives of all who can purchase their fa¬ 
vours, and a handsome daughter is considered by her parents 
as a blessing which secures to them, for. a time, wealth and 
abundance. After they have advanced in years and have had 
children, they form more permanent connections, and appear then 
as firmly attached to their husbands as the women of any other 
country: indeed it has often afforded me the most lively pleasure to 
witness the strong affection which husbands and wives have shown 
for each other, and the tender care they at all times bestow on 
their offspring; they appeared actuated by one interest, and both 
took equal pleasure in fondling their infants. But the girls, from 
twelve to eighteen years of age rove at will; this period of their 
lives is a period of unbounded pleasure, unrestrained in all their 
actions, unconfined by domestic occupations, their time is spent 
in dancing, singing, and ornamenting their persons to render them¬ 
selves more attractive in the eyes of man, on whom they indis¬ 
criminately bestow their favours, unrestrained by shame or fear of 
the consequences. That terrible disease which has proved so de¬ 
structive to mankind is unknown to them, and they give free scope 
to the indulgence of their passions, living in the most pleasur¬ 
able licentiousness. 
