THROUGH HAWAII, 
445 
Among the higher ranks, marriage seems to be con¬ 
ducted on principles of political expediency, with a 
view to strengthen alliances and family influence ; and 
among the reigning family, brothers and sisters marry. 
This custom, so revolting to every idea of moral pro¬ 
priety, that the mind is shocked at the thought of its 
existence, appears to have been long in use ; and very 
recently a marriage was proposed at Maui, between the 
young prince and princess, both children of the same 
parents ; a council of chiefs was held on the subject, 
and all were favourable. The opinion of the missiona¬ 
ries there was asked. The chiefs assigned as a reason, 
that being the highest chiefs in the islands, they could 
not marry any others who were their equals, and ought 
not to form alliances with inferiors, as it was desirable 
that the supreme rank they held should descend to 
their posterity. They were told that such marriages 
were forbidden in the word of God, were held in abhor¬ 
rence by all civilized and Christian nations, and had 
seldom been known to leave any descendants to wear 
the honour or sustain the rank the contracting parties 
desired thus to perpetuate. 
Several of the chiefs present made no profession of 
Christianity, and consequently were uninfluenced by 
some of the remarks, but the concluding observation 
appeared of importance to them all. They said they 
thought there was some truth in it; that the late king 
Tamehameha, father of Elhoriho, had sev ral wives, 
who were his near relations, and even his daughter-in- 
law, yet left no children, except those of whom Keo- 
puolani was the mother, and who, though a sacred 
chief of higher rank than her husband, was the grand¬ 
daughter of a princess of another island, and distantly 
