POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
431 
XII. Concerning (Divorce) Putting away Husbands, and Putting 
AWAY Wives. 
That a man should put away his wife, who has not been unfaithful to 
him, is wrong. The magistrates shall admonish such an one that he 
receive his wife again. If he will not regard the admonition, let him be 
punished with labour till the day that he will return to his wife. If he 
is obstinate, and will not return, then they shall both remain till one of 
them die ; the husband shall not marry another wife. The woman, also, 
who shall forsake, or put away her husband without cause, the above is 
the regulation with regard to such. But if a man put away his wife 
on account of her great anger (violent temper,) and for her bad behaviour, 
such man put (her) away, the magistrates shall admonish the wife and 
the husband that they live together; but if they are perverse, they shall 
remain ; the wife shall not take another husband, and the husband shall 
not take another wife. They shall also be adjudged to labour till they 
live together again. The husband^s work shall be on the road or the 
plantation. The wife shall perform such work as weaving mats or 
beating cloth. For the king one part, and for the governor the other 
part, of the work they shall do. 
XIII. Concerning the not Making Provision for the Support of 
THE Wife. 
If a man does not provide food for his own wife, but afflicts her with 
hunger, the magistrate shall admonish such a husband that he behave not 
thus; but if he will not hear their counsel, and his wife, on account 
of this evil treatment, (she) leave, let him be sentenced to labour (if not 
a weak and sickly man) until the day that he will behave kindly to his 
wife. The work shall be such as making a road, or erecting a fence, 
for the king and the governor. 
XIV. Concerning Marriage, 
Marriage is an agreement between two persons, one man and one 
woman, that they will be united in marriage. It must not be with a 
brother or a sister, but with a distant relation or a stranger, that a person 
may properly (lawfully) marry. 
The marriage ceremony shall be performed by a Missionary, or a 
magistrate. Those pui^posing to marry shall make the same known unto 
a Missionary, or to a magistrate; and the Missionary or (magistrate) 
shall cause it to be known among the people, that the propriety (of it) 
may be known. Perhaps there may be some cause that would render it 
improper for them to marry; if not, then they may marry. This is the evil 
(that would render it unlawful) perhaps the man may have forsaken his 
wife in some island or country, and may have travelled to another land, 
