POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
573 
or dwelling in the houses of their chiefs, live together in 
the neat little cottages reared by their own industry, and 
find satisfaction and comfort in each other’s society. 
Every household virtue adorns their families 5 the chil¬ 
dren grow up the objects of their mutual affection, and 
call into exercise new solicitudes and unwonted emotions 
of delight. Often they appear sitting together reading 
the Scriptures, walking in company to the house of 
God, or surrounding, not indeed the family hearth, or 
the domestic fireside, which in their warm climate would 
be no addition to their comfort, but the family board, 
spread with the liberal gifts of divine bounty. The father 
at times may also be seen nursing his little child at the 
door of his cottage, and the mother sitting at needle¬ 
work by his side, or engaged in other domestic employ¬ 
ments. These are the delights it has imparted to the 
present race—while the rising generation are trained 
under the influence of the principles of Christianity, and 
these examples of social and domestic virtue. 
Marriages frequently take place at an early age among 
the people; they do not, however, appear to be less 
happy than those celebrated when the parties are further 
advanced in life. In former times the men were often 
cruel in their treatment of the women, and considered 
them as their slaves; but the husbands now treat their 
wives v/ith respect, and often cherish for them the most 
sincere affection. The female character is elevated in 
society; the husbands perform the labours of the plan¬ 
tation or the fishery, recognizing it as their duty to 
provide the means of subsistence for the family; while 
the preparation of their food, (especially where the 
European mode of living has been adopted by them,) 
together with attention to the children, and the making 
