POLYNKSIAN RESEARCH KS. 
311 
CHAP. XII. 
An account of the Areois, the institution peculiar to the inhabitants of 
the Pacific—Antiquity of the Areoi society—Tradition of its origin— 
Account of its founders—Infanticide enjoined with its establishment— 
General character of the Areois—Their voyages—Public dances— 
Buildings for their accommodation—Marine exhibitions—Oppression 
and injury occasioned by their visits—Distinction of rank among them 
—Estimation in which they are held—Mode of admission—Ceremonies 
attending advancement to the higher orders—Demoralizing nature of 
their usages—Singular rites at their death and interment—Description 
of Rohutunaunoa, the Areois heaven—Reflections on the baneful ten¬ 
dency of the Areoi society—Its dissolution—Conversion of some of the 
principal Areois—Character and death of Manu—Infanticide connected 
with the Areoi society—Numbers destroyed—Universality of the crime 
—Mode of its perpetration—Reasons assigned by the people for its 
continuance—Disproportion it occasioned between the sexes—Its aboli¬ 
tion on the reception of Christianity—Influence of Christian principles, 
Maternal tenderness—Former treatment of children. 
The greatest source of amusement to the people^ as a 
nation, was most probably the existence of a society, 
peculiar to the islands of the Pacific, if not to the inha¬ 
bitants of the southern groups. This was an institution 
called the Areoi society. Many of the regulations of 
this body, and the practices to which they were addicted, 
cannot be made public, without violence to every feel¬ 
ing of propriety; but, so far as it can be consistently 
done, it seems desirable to give some particulars re¬ 
specting this most singular institution. Although I 
never met with an account of any institution analogous 
