THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 165 
tunity of obferving of the domeftic concerns of the loweft 1779. 
clafs, the houfe feemed to be under the direction of one 
man and woman, and the children in the like ffcate of fub- 
ordination as in civilized countries. 
It will not be improper, in this place, to take notice, that 
we were eye-witneffes of a fa£t, which, as it Vas the only 
inftance we law of any thing like jealoufy among them, 
fhews, at the fame time, that not only fidelity, but a degree 
of referve, is required from the married women of confe- 
quence. At one of the entertainments of boxing, Omeeah 
was obferved to rife from his place two or three times, and 
to go up to his wife with ftrong marks of difpleafure, or¬ 
dering her, as it appeared to us from his manner, to with¬ 
draw. Whether it was, that being very handfome, he 
thought fhe drew too much of our attention, or without 
being able to determine what other reafon he might have 
for his condudt, it is but juftice to fay, that there exifted no 
real caufe of jealoufy. However, fhe kept her place; and 
when the entertainment was over, joined our party, and 
foliciting fome trifling prefents, was given to underhand, 
that we had none about us ; but that if fhe would accom¬ 
pany us toward our tent, fhe fhould return with fuch as 
flie liked belt. She was accordingly walking along with 
us; which Omeeah obferving, followed in a violent rage, 
and feizing her by the hair, began to inflict, with his fills, 
a fevere corporal punifhment. This fight, efpecially as we 
had innocently been the caufe of it, gave us much concern; 
and yet we were told, that it would be highly improper to 
interfere between man and wife of fuch high rank. We 
were, however, not left without the confolation of feeino- 
the natives at laft interpofe; and had the farther fatisfac- 
tion of meeting them together the next day, in perfect 
good- 
