THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
157 
tuals; for they would certainly ftarve, before any grown 1777. 
man would do them fuch an office. In this, as well as in , December ; 
fome other cuftoms relative to their eating, there is a myf- 
terious conduct, which we could never thoroughly compre¬ 
hend. When we inquired into the reafons of it, we could 
get no other anfwer, but that it is right and neceffary that 
it ffiould be fo. 
In other cuftoms refpeCting the females, there feems to 
be no fuch obfcurity; efpecially as to their connections 
with the men. If a young man and woman, from mutual 
choice, cohabit, the man gives the father of the girl fuch 
things as are neceffary in common life; as hogs, cloth, or 
canoes, in proportion to the time they are together; and 
if he thinks that he has not been fufficiently paid for his 
daughter, he makes no fcruple of forcing her to leave her 
friend, and to cohabit with another perfon who may be 
more liberal. The man, on his part, is always at liberty to 
make a new choice ; but, fhould his conlort become preg¬ 
nant, he may kill the child ; and, after that, either continue 
his connection with the mother, or leave her. But if he 
fhould adopt the child, and fuffer it to live, the parties are 
then conlidered as in the married ftate, and they commonly 
live together ever after. However, it is thought no crime 
in the man to join a more youthful partner to his firft wife, 
and to live with both. The cuftom of changing their con¬ 
nections is, however, much more general than this laft ; 
and it is a thing fo common, that they fpeak of it with great 
indifference. The Erreoes are only thofe of the better fort, 
who, from their ficklenefs, and their poffeffing the means 
of purchafing a fucceffion of frefh connections, are con- 
ftantly roaming about; and, from having no particular at¬ 
tachment, feldom adopt the more fettled method mentioned 
above. 
