930 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
made public, without violence to every feeling of 
propriety; but, so far as it can be consistently 
done, it seems desirable to give some particulars 
respecting this most singular institution. Although 
I never met with an account of any institution 
analogous to this, among the barbarous nations in 
any parts of the world, I have reason to believe it 
was not confined to the Society group, and neigh- 
bouring islands. It does not appear to have 
existed in the Marquesas or Sandwich Islands; 
but the Jesuit Missionaries found an institution, 
bearing a striking resemblance to it, among the 
inhabitants of the Caroline or Ladrone Islands; a 
privileged fraternity, whose practices were, in many 
respects, similar to those of the Areois of the 
southern islands. They were called writoy ; 
which, omitting the ¢, would not be much unlike 
areo.: a greater difference exists in the pronun- 
ciation of words known to be radically the same. 
How long this association has existed in the 
South Seadslands, we have no means of ascertain- 
ing with correctness. According to the traditions 
of the people, its antiquity is equal to that of the 
system of pollution and error with which it was so 
intimately allied ; and, by the same authority, we 
are informed that there have been Areois almost as 
long as there have been men. These, however, 
were all so fabulous, that we can only infer from 
them that the institution is of ancient origin 
According to the traditions of the people, Taaroa 
created, and, by means of Hina, brought forth 
when full grown, Orotetefa and Urutetefa, They 
were not his sons; orzorz is the term employed 
by the people, which seems to mean create. They 
were called the brothers of Oro, and-were num- 
bered among the inferior divinities. They remained 
