96 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
his own land, or remain in voluntary service with 
his master. 
So long, however, as they continued slaves or 
captives, their lives were in jeopardy. Sometimes 
they were suddenly murdered, to satiate the latent 
revenge of their conquerors ; at others reserved as 
human victims, to be offered in sacrifice to their 
gods. Slavery, in every form, is perfectly consist¬ 
ent with paganism, and it was maintained among 
the islands as one means of contributing to its sup¬ 
port. This kind obtains in most of the clusters, 
but is probably far more oppressive in New Zealand 
than in the Society Islands. The slaves among 
the former are treated with the greatest cruelty, 
and often inhumanly murdered and eaten. 
The manahune also included the teuteu, or ser¬ 
vants of the chiefs ; all who were destitute of any 
land, and ignorant of the rude arts of carpentering, 
building, &c. which were respected among them, 
and such as were reduced to a state of dependence 
upon those in higher stations. Although the ma¬ 
nahune have always included a large number of 
the inhabitants, they have not in modern times 
been so numerous as some other ranks. Since the 
population has been so greatly diminished, the 
means of subsistence so abundant, and such vast 
portions of the country uncultivated, an industrious 
individual has seldom experienced much difficulty 
in securing at least the occupancy of a piece of 
land. The fishermen and artisans (sometimes 
ranking with this class, but more frequently with 
that immediately above it,) may be said to have 
constituted the connecting link between the two. 
The bueraatira, gentry and farmers, has ever been 
the most numerous and influential class, constitut¬ 
ing at all times the great body of the people, and 
