THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
401 
Whether their marriages he made lalting by any kind i 77 
of folemn contract, we could not determine with precifion; v _^ 
hut it is certain, that the bulk of the people fatisfied them- 
felves with one wife. The Chiefs, however, have, com¬ 
monly, feveral women *; though fome of us were of opi¬ 
nion, that there was only one that was looked upon as the 
miftrefs of the family. 
As female chaftity, at firif light, feemed to be held in 
no great eifimation, we expected to have found frequent 
breaches of their conjugal fidelity ; but w'e did them great 
injuftice. I do not know that a lingle inftance happened 
during our whole flay f. Neither are thofe of the better 
fort, that are unmarried, more free of their favours. It is 
true, there was no want of thofe of a different character; 
and, perhaps, fuch are more frequently met with here, in 
proportion to the number of people, than in many other 
countries. But it appeared to me, that the moli, if not all 
of them, were of the loweft clafs ; and fuch of them as per¬ 
mitted familiarities to our people, were proflitutes by pro- 
feflion. 
Nothing can be a greater proof of the humanity of thefe 
people, than the concern they fhew for the dead J. To ufe 
a common expreffion, their mourning is not in words but 
deeds. For, belides the iooge mentioned before, and burnt 
circles and fears, they beat the teeth with hones, ftrike a 
* Cantova fays of his Caroline iflanders, “ La pluralite des femmes eft non feulement 
“ permife a tous ces infulaires, elle eft encore une marque d’honneur et de diftinclion. 
u Le Tamole de l’ifle d’Huogoleu en a neuf.” Lettres Edljiav.tes et Curicufes , Tom. xv. 
p. 310. 
f At the Caroline Ulands, “ Us ont horreur de 1 ’adultere, comme d’une grand 
“ peche.” Ibid. Tom. xv. p. 310. 
t How die inhabitants of the Caroline Iflands exprefs their grief on fuch occafions, 
may be leen, Ibid. Tom. xv. p. 308. 
Vol. I. 3 F lhark’s 
