TIIE MARQUESANS. 
317 
and murderous. Since Mendano first anchored off 
their shores, few ships have visited them, during 
whose stay, some blood, either of the European 
or natives, or both, has not been shed; and fewer 
still, whose crews have not been engaged in 
violent and alarming quarrels. The Russian navi¬ 
gator, whose testimony has been already referred 
to, observes, that, though they manifested some 
degree of honesty in barter, they appeared to have 
neither social institutions, religion, nor humane 
feelings. Their general behaviour towards foreign¬ 
ers has been represented as wild, violent, and fero¬ 
cious, adapted to inspire any feeling rather than 
that of confidence or security. Their government 
is feudal or aristocratical, and, for every purpose 
of benefit to the community, is feeble and ineffi¬ 
cient. The inhabitants appear to reside in the 
spacious valleys by which the high lands are inter¬ 
sected, the mountain sides forming the natural 
boundaries. The inhabitants of each valley are 
said to have their temple ; their priests, and their 
chieftain or ruler; sometimes several tribes, inha¬ 
biting as many valleys, are united under one chief, 
but we do not know of any chief who exercises the 
supreme authority over any one of the islands. In 
each, there appears to be two or more distinct con¬ 
federations ; and these are frequently at war with 
each other, or with the inhabitants of some neigh¬ 
bouring island. Wars are frequent and cruel; 
they do not appear to be carried on from motives 
of ambition or revenge, so much as from a desire 
for plunder, or to secure a feast upon the bodies 
of their enemies. The skulls of the captured are 
sometimes worn as trophies of a warrior’s prowess, 
or are offered for sale to foreigners. Human bones 
constitute part of the furniture of their dwellings, 
