THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
173 
Inform them of the provocation he had to kill him. But 1777. 
fo fevere a punifhment is feldom infliffed, unlefs the articles . Dece ^ mbcr ; 
that are ffcolen he reckoned very valuable; fuch as breaft- 
plates, and plaited hair. If only cloth, or even hogs be 
ftolen, and the thief efcape, upon his being afterward dif~ 
covered, if he promife to return the fame number of pieces 
of cloth, or of hogs, no farther punifhment is inflicted.* 
Sometimes, after keeping out of the way for a few days, he 
is forgiven, or, at moft, gets a flight beating. If a perfon 
kill another in a quarrel, the friends of the deceafed af- 
femble, and engage the furvivor and his adherents. If they 
conquer, they take poffeflion of the houfe, lands, and goods 
of the other party; but if conquered, the reverfe takes 
place. If a Manahoone kill the Thoutou<> or Have of a Chief, 
the latter fends people to take pofTeflion of the lands and 
houfe of the former, who flies either to fome other part of 
the ifland, or to fome of the neighbouring iflands. After 
fome months he returns, and finding his flock of hogs 
much increafed, he offers a large prefent of thefe, with 
fome red feathers, and other valuable articles, to the ?ou~ 
tou’s matter, who generally accepts the compenfation, and 
permits him to repoffefs his houfe and lands. This practice 
is the height of venality and injuftice; and the flayer of 
the flave feems to be under no farther neceflity of abfcond- 
ing, than to impofe upon the lower clafs of people,, who are 
the fufferers. For it does not appear, that the Chief has the 
leaft power to punifh this Manahoone ; but the whole ma¬ 
nagement marks a collufion between him and his fuperior, 
to gratify the revenge of the former, and the avarice of the 
latter. Indeed, we need not wonder that the killing of a 
man fhould be confidered as fo venial an offence, amongft a 
people who do not confider it as any crime at all 3 to murder 
their 
