POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
321 
Although addicted to every kind of licentiousness 
themselves, each Areoi had his own wife, who was also 
a member of the society ; and so jealous were they in 
this respect, that improper conduct towards the wife of 
one of their own number, was sometimes punished with 
death. This summary and fatal punishment was not con¬ 
fined to their society, but was sometimes inflicted, for the 
same crime, among other classes of the community. 
Singular as it may appear, the Areoi institution was 
held in the greatest repute by the chiefs and higher 
classes *, and, monsters of iniquity as they were, the 
grandmasters, or members of the first order, were 
regarded as a sort of superhuman beings: they were 
treated with a corresponding degree of veneration by 
many of the vulgar and ignorant. The fraternity was 
not confined to any particular rank or grade in society, 
but was composed of individuals from every class. But 
although thus accessible to all, the admission was attended 
with a variety of ceremonies; a protracted noviciate 
followed 5 and it was only by progressive advancement, 
that any were admitted to the superior distinctions. 
It was imagined that those who became Areois were 
generally prompted or inspired to adopt this course 
by the gods. When any individual therefore wished 
to be admitted to their society, he repaired to some 
public exhibition, in a state of apparent neneva, or 
derangement. He generally w^ore a girdle of yellow 
plantain or ti leaves round his loins; his face was 
stained with mati, or scarlet dye; his brow decorated 
with a shade of curiously platted yellow cocoa-nut 
leaves ; his hair perfumed with powerfully scented oil, 
and ornamented with a profusion of fragrant flowers. 
Thus arrayed, disfigured, and adorned, he rushed through 
2 T 
