422 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
people. The king can dispense with any of them ; 
but such conduct would be contrary to the estab¬ 
lished usage, and is seldom done. The will of 
the king, however, being the supreme law, the 
government is more or less arbitrary, as his dis¬ 
position is humane, or vindictive and cruel. His 
power extends, not only over the property, but 
over the liberty and lives, of the people. This 
power is delegated by him to the governors of 
the different islands, and by them again to the 
chiefs of the districts. A chief takes the life of 
one of his own people for any offence he may com¬ 
mit, and no one thinks he has a right to interfere. 
But, though the power of the chiefs is so absolute 
over their own people, it extends no further. A 
chief dare not for any offence punish a man be¬ 
longing to another, but must complain to the chief 
on whose land the offender resides. 
The king is chief magistrate over the whole 
islands. The governors sustain the same office in 
the islands under their jurisdiction, and the chiefs 
of the districts are the arbitrators in all quarrels 
among their own people. A man dissatisfied with 
the decisions of his chief, may appeal to the 
governor, and finally to the king. They have no 
regular police, but the king has generally a num¬ 
ber of chiefs in attendance, who, with the assist¬ 
ance of their own dependants, execute his orders. 
The governors and high chiefs have the same, and 
employ them in a similar manner when occasion 
requires. 
The house or front yard of the king or governor 
is the usual court of justice, and it is sometimes 
quite a court of equity. Judgment is seldom given 
till both parties are heard face to face. They have 
several ordeals for trying those accused of different 
