POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
445 
other enclosures^ but range the district at liberty 3 a great 
proportion of their food being derived from the cocoa- 
nuts^ bread-fruit^ plums, chestnuts, and other fruits 
that fall from the trees. During the season of fruit, these 
are abundant, and the pigs feed and sleep in quietness 
under the shade; but during the other seasons of the 
year, they are very troublesome. Their materials for 
fences are not very good ; and a large strong and hungry 
hog will easily force a way into the garden with his 
tusks or his teeth, and often do great mischief in a very 
short time. In 1826 this law was revised, and rendered 
more simple. 
The sixth enactment, relating to barter, was very ne¬ 
cessary, not only for the exchanges, or trade, carried on 
among the natives themselves, but for the prevention of 
misunderstandings and dissatisfaction between them and 
those foreigners by whom they might be visited for pur¬ 
poses of traffic or barter. They are naturally fickle : and 
were formerly accustomed to return articles which they 
exchanged, merely because they desired to repossess what¬ 
ever they might have given for it; this practice led to 
frequent altercations, and, when trading with foreigners, to 
most serious quarrels. 
The law which prohibits labour on the Sabbath-day, is 
perhaps enforced by a penalty disproportioned to the 
offence. It ought, however, to be observed, that as a 
nation they were accustomed to pay the strictest regard 
to this day from religious considerations, before the legal 
enactment was made, which was principally designed to 
prevent annoyance to those who were desirous to devote 
the day to religious services. The road which the 
offenders were to make, was not much more than a foot¬ 
path, with a small trench dug on each side, and raised 
