362 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
The practice of tutuing, or devising by will^ vras found 
to exist among them prior to the arrival of the Mis¬ 
sionaries, and was employed not only in reference to 
land, but to any other kinds of property. Unacquainted 
with letters, they could not leave a written will, but 
during a season of illness, those possessing property 
frequently called together the members of the family, 
or confidential friends, and to them gave directions for 
the disposal of their effects after their decease. This 
was considered a kind of sacred charge, and was usually 
executed with fidelity. 
Every portion of land had its respective owner; and 
even the distinct trees on the land had sometimes dif¬ 
ferent proprietors, and a tree, and the land it grew on, 
different owners. The divisions of land were accurately 
marked by a natural boundary, as a ridge of mountains, 
or the course of a river, or by artificial means ; and fre¬ 
quently a carved image, or tii, denoted the extent of their 
different possessions. Whether these tiis were designed 
to intimate that the spirits they represented guarded the 
borders of their property, or were used as ornaments, 
I could not learn, but the removal of the ancient land¬ 
marks was regarded as a heinous offence. 
The produce whicii the king received from his here¬ 
ditary estates being seldom sufficient for the maintenance 
of his household, the deficiency was supplied from the 
different districts of the islands. The frequency, how¬ 
ever, with which the inferior chiefs were required to 
bring provisions, was neither fixed nor regular, but was 
governed by the number of the districts, or the neces¬ 
sities of the king’s steward. Still there was a sort of 
tacit agreement between the king and chiefs, as to the 
times when they should furnish his provision; and the 
