POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
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among them, and every precaution was taken to guard 
against it. On this account, their large bales of valuable 
cloth, and most articles of property not in constant use, 
were kept suspended from the ridge-pole or rafters of 
their dwellings; their smaller rolls of cloth were often 
laid by their pillows; and their pigs were driven under 
their beds at night, to prevent their being stolen. 
This nefarious practice, strange as it may appear, was 
supported by their false system of religion, and sanctioned 
by the patronage of the gods, especially by Hiro a son of 
Oro, who was called the god of thieves. The aid of this 
god was invoked by those who went on expeditions of 
plunder, and the priests probably received a portion of 
the spoils. Chiefs of considerable rank have sometimes 
been detected in the act of stealing, or have been known 
to employ their domestics to thieve, receiving the articles 
stolen, and afterwards sheltering the plunderers. This, 
however, has generally been practised on the property of 
foreigners. 
Among themselves, if detected, the thief experienced 
no mercy, but was often murdered on the spot. If de¬ 
tected afterwards, he was sometimes dreadfully wounded 
or killed. Two very alfecting instances of vengeance of 
this kind are recorded by the early Missionaries. I have 
also heard that they sometimes bound the thief hand and 
foot, and, putting him into an old rotten canoe, towed 
him out to sea, and there left him adrift, to sink in the 
ocean, or become a prey to the sharks. 
The haru raa, or seizing all the property of delin¬ 
quents, was the most frequent retaliation, among the 
lower class, for this and other crimes. The servants of 
the chiefs, or injured party, went to the house of the 
offenders, and took by force whatever they found, carrying 
