PUBLIC WORKS. 
127 
covering the thief, or the property stolen ; and, on 
these occasions, they frequently resorted to divi¬ 
nation, and employed the sorcerer to discover the 
offender. The thief, when detected, generally 
received summary punishment. Mr. Bourne states, 
that, in one of the Hervey islands, a man found a 
little boy, about eight years of age, stealing food ; 
the man instantly seized the juvenile delinquent, 
and, tying a heavy stone to his leg, threw him into 
the sea. The boy sunk to the bottom, and would 
soon have paid for his crime with his life, had not 
one of the native teachers plunged into the water, 
rescued him, and taken him to his own house, 
where he has ever since resided. 
The resources of the government consisted in 
the personal services of the people, and the pro¬ 
duce of the soil. From these the revenue was 
derived. All public works, such as the erection of 
national temples, fortifications, enclosures from the 
sea, dwellings for the king, &c. were performed 
by the whole population. In each district, 
the king had a viceroy, or deputy, to whom his 
orders were sent with a cocoa-nut leaf. The 
chiefs sometimes assembled together, and divided 
the work among themselves. At other times, the 
king appointed to each his particular share. Every 
chief then issued orders to the raatiras under his 
authority, who prepared the materials, and per¬ 
formed the work. Canoes for the king’s use were 
furnished in the same way, and also cloth for him¬ 
self and his household. 
Every district brought provisions at stated in¬ 
tervals for the king’s use, or for the maintenance 
of his numerous retinue. Besides what they 
regularly furnished, orders were often issued for 
extraordinary supplies, for the entertainment of a 
