art, it is almoft impoffible to avoid their toils. Among feveral tribes, their young men were not permitted to marry, until they had given fuch proofs of their skill in hunting as put it beyond doubt that they were capable of providing for a family. Their ingenuity, always on the ftretch, and fharpened by emulation, as well as neceffity, has ftruck out many inventions, which greatly facilitate fuccefs in the chafe. The moft fingular of thefe is the discovery of a poifon in which they dip the arrows employed in hunting. The flightest wound with those envenomed fhafts is mortal. If they only pierce the fkin, the blood fixes and congeals in a moment, and the frongest animal falls motionlefs to the ground. Nor does this poifon, notwithstanding its violence and fubtlety, infect the flesh of the animal which it kills. That may be caten with perfect fafety, and retains its native relifh and qualities. All the nations along the Maragnon and Orinoco are acquainted with this compofition, the chief ingredient in which is the juice extracted from the root of the curare, a fpecies of withe. in other parts of America, they employ the juice of the manchenille for the fame purpofe, and it operates with a no lefs fatal activity. To people poffeffed of thofe fecrets, the bow is a more destructive weapon than the mufket, and, in their skilful hands, does great execution among the birds and beafts which abound in the forefts of America. But the life of a hunter gradually leads man to a ftate more advanced. The chafe, even where prey is abundant, and the dexterity of the hunter much improved, affords but an uncertain maintenance, and at fome feafons it must be fufpended altogether. If a favage trufts to his bow alone for food, he and his family will be often reduced to extreme diftrefs. Hardly any region of the earth furnishes man fpontaneously with what his wants require. In the mildest climates, and most fertile foils, his own induftry and forefight must be exerted, in fome degree, to fecure a regular fupply of food. Their experience of this furmounts the abhorrence of labour natural to favage nations, and compels them to have recourfe to culture, as fubfidiary to hunting. In particular fituations, fome fmall tribes may fubfift by fishing, independent of any production of the earth, raised by their own induftry. But throughout all America, we fcarcely meet with any nation of hunters, which does not pra&tife fome fpecies of cultivation. Their agriculture, however, is neither extenfive nor laborious. As game and fish are their principal food, all they aim at by cultivation, is to fupply any occafional defect of these. In the fouthern continent of America, the natives confined their industry to rearing a few plants, which, in a rich foil and warm climate, were cafily trained to maturity. The chief of thefe is Maize, well known in Europe by the name of Turkey or Indian wheat, a grain extremely prolific, of fimple culture, agreeable to the talte, and affording a trong hearty nourishment. The fecond is the manioc, which grows to the fize of a large fhrub, or fmall tree, and produces roots fomewhat refembling parsnips. After carefully fqueezing out the juice, these roots are grated down to a fine powder, and formed into thin cakes, called Caffada bread, which, though infipid to the tafte, proves no contemptible food. As the juice of the manioc is a deadly poifon, fome authors have celebrated the ingenuity of the Americans, in converting a noxious plant into wholesome nourishment. But it fhould rather be confidered as one of the defperate expedients for procuring fubfiftence, to which neceffity reduces rude nations; or, perhaps, men were led to the ufe of it by a progrefs, in which there is nothing marvellous. One fpecies of manioc is altogether free of any poifonous quality, and may be eaten without any preparation but that of roafting it in the embers. This, it is probable, was firft ufed by the Americans as food; and neceffity having gradually taught them the art of feparating its pernicious juice from the other fpecies, they h by experience found it to be the most prolific as well as the most nourishing plant of the two. The third is the plantain, which though it rifes to the height of a tree, is of fuch quick growth, that in less than a year it rewards the industry of the cultivator with its fruit. This, when roafted, fupplies the place of bread, and is both palatable and nourishing. The fourth is the potatoe, whofe culture and qualities are too well known to need any defcription. The fifth is pimento, a fmall tree, yielding a strong aromatic fpice. The Americans, who, like other inhabitants of warm climates, delight in whatever is hot and of poignant flavour, deem this feafoning a neceffary of life, and mingle it copiously with every kind of food they take. Such are the various productions, which were the chief object of culture among the hunting tribes on the continent of America, and with a moderate exertion of active and provident induftry, thefe might have yielded a full fupply to the wants of a numerous people. But men, accustomed to the free and vagrant life of hunters, are incapable of regular application to labour; and confider agriculture as a fecondary and inferior occupation. Accordingly, the provifion for fubfiftence, arifing from culivation, was fo limited and fcanty among the Americans, that, upon any accidental failure of their afual fuccefs in hunting, they were of en reduced to extreme distress. In the islands, the mode of fub. fifting was confiderably different. None of the large animals which abound on the continent were known there. Only four fpecies of quadrupeds, befides a kind of fmall dumb dog, exifted in the islands, the biggest of which did not exceed the fize of a rabbit. To hunt fuch diminutive prey, was an occupation which required no effort either of activity or courage. The chief employment of a hunter in the ifles was to kill birds, which on the continent are deemed igneble game, and left chiefly to the purfuit of boys. This want of animals, as well as their peculiar fituation, led the islanders to depend principally upon fishing for their fubfiftence. Their rivers, and the fea with which they are furrounded, fupplied them with this fpecies of food, At some particular feafons, turtle, crabs, and other fhell-fish, abounded in fuch numbers, that they could fupport themselves with a facility in which At their indolence delighted. other times, they eat lizards, and various reptiles of odious forms. To fishing, the inhabitants of the iflands added fome degree of agriculture. Maize, manioc, and other plants, were cultivated in the fame manner as on the conti nent. But all the fruits of their infoil and climate produced fpontaneously, afforded them but a fcanty maintenance. Though their demands for food were very fparing, they hardly raised what was fufficient for their own confumption. If a few Spaniards fettled in any district, fuch a fmall addition of fupernumerary mouths foon exhaufted their fcanty ftores, and brought on a famine. Two circumstances, common to all the favage nations of America, concurred with those which I have already mentioned, not only in rendering their agriculture imperfect, but in circumfcribing their power in all their operations. They had no tame animals; and they were unacquainted with the ufe of metals. -Agriculture, even when the ftrength of man is feconded by that of the animals which he has fubjected to the yoke, and his power augmented by the ufe of the various inftruments with which the discovery of metals has furnished him, is still a work of great labour; and it is with the fweat of his brow that he renders the earth fertile. It is not wonderful, then, that people deftitute of both thefe advantages fhould have made fo little progrefs in cultivation, that they must be confidered as depending for fubfiftence on fishing and hunt ing, rather than on the fruits of their own labour. Account of a Society in the Friendly Ilands named Arreoy; extracted from Forter's Voyage. WE walked along this creek in the afternoon, as far as the intermitting fhowers would permit. The fhore was lined with innumerable canoes, whilft every house and shed was crowded with people, many of whom were preparing large and luxuriant dinners, from heaps of provifions which were every where accumulated. We were told that a peculiar fociety or order of perfons of both fexes, named Arreoy, exifted in these islands; and that they affembled at times from all parts, and travelled through all the islands, feafting and caroufing to excess. During the time we lay at Huahine, we had obferved no lefs than feventy canoes, with more than feven hundred of thefe arreoys on board; croffing over to Raietea in one morning. We were told that they had fpent a few days on the east fide of the island, and were arrived on its western fhore only a day or two before us. We took notice that they were all perfons of fome confequence, and of the race of chiefs. Some of the men were punctured in large broad blotches; and Mahine affured us, these were the most eminent members of the fociety, and that the more they were covered with punctures, the higher was their rank. They were in general tout and well made, and all profefied themfelves warriors. Mahine had a very high veneration for for this fociety, and told us he himself was a member. They are united by the ties of reciprocal friendship, and exercife hofpitality towards each other in its greatest latitude. As foon as an arreoy vifits another, though he were unknown to him, he is fure to have his wants fupplied, and his defires gratified; he is introduced to other members of the order, and they vie with each other in loading him with careffes and prefents. It was to this principle that Mahine afcribed all the pleafures which he had enjoyed at Taheitee. The firft people who faw him on board were arreoys according to his account, and in that quality made him a prefent of their garments, fince he had no other than European cloaths. It appears that one or more perfons of each little family of chiefs enter into this community, of which the invariable and fundamental character is, that none of its members are permitted to have any children. From the accounts of the most intelligent among the natives, we have great room to fuppofe, that the original inflitution required their living in perpe. tual celibacy. As this law was too repugnant to the impulfes of nature, which must be uncommonly ftrong in their climate, they foon tranfgreffed it; but preferved the intention of the prefcribed abftinence, by fuffocating their unfortunate offspring immediately after birth. The arreoys enjoy feveral privileges, and are greatly refpected throughout the Society Iflands and Taheitee; nay, they claim a great fhare of honour from the very circumftance of being childlefs. Tu paya, when he heard that the king of England had a numerous of fpring, declared he thought him. felf much greater, becaufe he be longed to the arreoys. In moft other countries the name of a parent gives honour and refpe&t; but when an arreoy, at Taheitee, emphatically beftows it, it is meant as a term of contempt and reproach, The arreoys keep great meetings at flated times, travelling from one ifland to another. They feat on the choiceft vegetables, and on plenty of pork, dog's flesh, fifh, and poultry, which is liberally furnifhed by the towtows, or lower clafs, for their entertainment. The pepper-root drink is prepared and fwallowed in furprising quantities on thefe occafions. Wherever they go, the train of fenfual pleafure waits upon them. They are amufed with mufic and dances, which are faid to be particularly lafcivious at night, when no other fpectators befides themselves are admitted. In a country fo far emerged from barbarifm as Taheitee, it cannot be fuppofed that a fociety would have maintained itfelf to the prefent time, which appears fo inju. rious to the reft of the nation, unlefs its advantages were fo confiderable, as to require its continuance. Two reafons feem to favour the existence of arreoys, and both are in fome measure connected toge ther. The first appears to be the necefity of entertaining a body of warriors, to defend their fellowcitizens from the invafions and depredations of enemies. This is confirmed by the circumftance, that all the arreoys are warriors; but as love might be fuppofed to ener vate them, they were restrained to that celibacy, which they have ince found it too difficult to obferve. The fecond reafon for the affociation of the arreoys, feems to be to prevent the too rapid propagation of the race of chiefs. An intelligent man, who perhaps was once the lawgiver of Taheitee, might forefee, that the common people would at length groan under the yoke of this numerous and ever multiplying breed of pettytyrants. To oblige a part of them to a fingle life, was the fhorteft means of obtaining this end; but certain glaring advantages were to be held out, to make them fubmit without reluctance to fuch a reftraint. From hence we may derive that high efteem with which the whole nation honours the order of arreoy; and likewife account for their authority, and for their gluttony in eating, which has been the privilege of warriors in every country, before they became the tools of tyranny. When the arreoys had once fo far departed from the laws of their firft inftitution, as to admit the commerce with the fex, it is eafy to conceive, that, by infenfible degrees, they have al moft wholly loft the original chafte and fober fpirit of the order. They are at prefent, without doubt, the most luxurious fet of people in the ifland; though I have not found the leaft reafon to charge them with a refinement in voluptuousnefs, which is at once improbable, and inconfiftent with the tenderness of the whole people. We have been told a wanton tale of promifcuous embraces, where every woman is common to every man: but when we enquired for a confirmation of this itory from the natives, VOL. XX. we were foon convinced that its muft, like many others, be confidered as the groundless invention of a traveller's gay fancy. Some arreoys are married to a woman, in the fame manner as Mahine was to the daughter of Toperree; but others keep a temporary miftrefs. Many may perhaps revel in the arms of feveral prostitutes, which are to be met with in all the islands. This dif folute pleasure is however much more frequent in every civilized country of Europe; but I apprehend it would not authorise an af fertion, that in Europe there exists a fociety of men and women, who practise a particular refinement of fenfuality. When we confider the whole character of the Taheitians; when we recollect their gentleness, their generofity, their affectionate friendship, their tenderness, their pity, we cannot reconcile thefe qualities to the murder of their own offspring. We fhudder at the ftern inhumanity of the father, but much more fo at the obdurate heart of the mother, where the voice of nature, and of powerful instinct, fhould cry aloud for mercy and protection. The paths. of virtue are but too eafily forfaken; ftill we are at a lofs to conceive, how a people fo much left to nature, could arrive at fuch a detestable pitch of depravity: but custom, That monster cuftom, who all fenfe doth |