448 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
Islands were reduced while the community were heathens^ 
they were often exposed to the sufferings of hunger and 
want^ from the neglect or unkindness of their savage and 
imperious husbands. 
The thirteenth enactment, requiring provision to he 
made for them, may be regarded as an indication of 
the light in which the nation at this time viewed their 
former treatment of the females, or an expression of 
their determination to prevent its recurrence. 
The law concerning marriage is a most important 
enactment, and may be justly regarded as the basis of 
all their regulations for domestic comfort, and produc¬ 
tive of every household virtue. It w^as thought that the 
season of assembling for public lecture during the week, 
which was on Wednesday evening, would be preferable 
to the Sabbath, for giving the notice, or, what is termed 
with us, publishing the banns, but the marriage was not 
to take place till the following week. Though the law 
only prescribes the terms in which the contract shall 
be made, the people usually expect a short address, 
and prayer for the Divine blessing; and on that account 
in general, prefer applying to the Missionaries to perform 
the ceremony. No fees are received by either party for 
solemnizing the marriage, or entering the record. In the 
revision of the code in 1826, this law was considerably 
improved by annexing to the public announcement of 
the intention of the parties, the reason why such public 
declaration was made, viz. that any who knew of just 
cause why the marriage should not take place, might 
declare the same. 
Dogs are numerous in the islands, though not now 
reared as formerly for food. They are generally remark¬ 
ably indolent, unsightly, and ill-bred, and are a great 
