THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
T53 
CHAP. VIII. 
General Account of the Sandwich IJlands continued .*— Govern¬ 
ment.—People divided into three CIoffes.—Power of Eree- 
taboo.—Genealogy of the Kings of Owhyhee and Mowee .— 
Power of the Chiefs.—State of the inferior Clafs. — PuniJJo - 
ment of Crimes. — Religion.—Society ofPriefls.—fhe Orono . 
—Iheir Idols.—Songs chanted by the Chiefs , before they 
drink Ava.—Human Sacrifices.—Cuftom of knocking out 
the Fore-teeth.—Notions with regard to a future State .— 
Marriages.—Remarkable Inji'ance of jealoufy.—Funeral 
Rites. 
H E people of thefe iflands are manifeftly divided into 
three clafTes. The firft are the Erees , or Chiefs, of 
each diftrid; one of whom is fuperior to the reft, and is 
called at Owhyhee Eree-taboo , and Eree-moee. By the firft of 
thefe words they exprefs his abfolute authority; and by 
the latter, that all are obliged to proftrate themfelves (or put 
themfelves to fleep, as the word fignifies) in his prefence. 
The fecond clafs are thofe who appear to enjoy a right of 
property, without authority. The third are the towtows , or 
fervants, who have neither rank nor property. 
It is not poftible to give any thing like a fyftematical ac¬ 
count of the fubordination of thefe claftes to each other, 
without departing from that ftrid veracity, which, in works 
of this nature, is more fatisfadory than conjedures, how¬ 
ever ingenious. I will, therefore, content myfelf with re- 
Vol. III. 
X 
lating 
