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[Page 427]

Manners & Customs of the South Sea Islands

to the men a Woman howsoever fond she may be of the name of Arreoy, & the liberty attending it,before she conceives, generaly generaly desires much to forfeit that title, for the preservation of her child: in this she has not the smallest influence; if she cannot find a man who will own it, she must of course destroy it; & if she can, with him alone it lies, whether or not it shall be preserv'd: sometimes it is, but in that case, both the man & woman forfeit their title of Arreoy, & the privelede annext thereunto; & must for the future, be known by the term Whannownow, or bearer of children: a title, as disgracefull, among these people, as it ought to be honourable, in every good, & well governd society. in this case, the man & woman, generaly live together as man & wife, for the remainder of their lives

The great facility with which these people have always procurd the nescessaries of life may very reasonably be thought to have originaly sunk them into a kind of indolence which has as it were benumbnd their inventions & prevented their producing such a variety of Arts as might reasonably be expected from the aproaches they have made in their manners to the politeness of

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