Andsotheold，legitimatecannibalmustrideoverthemountainstodoitforhim；andtherespectableofficialinwhiteclothescouldbutlookonandenvy。Ataboutthesametime，thoughinadifferentmanner，Kooamuaestablishedaforestlaw。Itwasobservedthecocoa-palmsweresuffering，forthepluckingofgreennutsimpoverishesandatlastendangersthetree。NowKooamuacouldtaputhereef，whichwaspublicproperty，buthecouldnottapuotherpeople’spalms；andtheexpedientadoptedwasinteresting。Hetapu’dhisowntrees，andhisexamplewasimitatedoverallHatiheuandAnaho。IfearTaipimighthavetapu’dallthathepossessedandfoundnonetofollowhim。Somuchfortheesteeminwhichthedignityofanappointedchiefisheldbyothers；asinglecircumstancewillshowwhathethinksofithimself。Inevermetone，buthetookanearlyopportunitytoexplainhissituation。True，hewasonlyanappointedchiefwhenI
beheldhim；butsomewhereelse，perhapsuponsomeotherisle，hewasachieftainbydescent：uponwhichground，heaskedmesotosayittoexcusehismushroomhonours。
Itwillbeobservedwithsurprisethatboththesetapusareforthoroughlysensibleends。Withsurprise，Isay，becausethenatureofthatinstitutionismuchmisunderstoodinEurope。Itistakenusuallyinthesenseofameaninglessorwantonprohibition，suchasthatwhichto-daypreventswomeninsomecountriesfromsmoking，oryesterdaypreventedanyoneinScotlandfromtakingawalkonSunday。Theerrorisnolessnaturalthanitisunjust。ThePolynesianshavenotbeentrainedinthebracing，practicalthoughtofancientRome；withthemtheideaoflawhasnotbeendisengagedfromthatofmoralsorpropriety；sothattapuhastocoverthewholefield，andimpliesindifferentlythatanactiscriminal，immoral，againstsoundpublicpolicy，unbecomingoraswesay
’notingoodform。’Manytapuswereinconsequenceabsurdenough，suchasthosewhichdeletedwordsoutofthelanguage，andparticularlythosewhichrelatedtowomen。Tapuencircledwomenuponallhands。Manythingswereforbiddentomen；towomenwemaysaythatfewwerepermitted。Theymustnotsitonthepaepae；theymustnotgouptoitbythestair；theymustnoteatpork；theymustnotapproachaboat；theymustnotcookatafirewhichanymalehadkindled。Theotherday，aftertheroadsweremade，itwasobservedthewomenplungedalongmarginthroughthebush，andwhentheycametoabridgewadedthroughthewater：roadsandbridgesweretheworkofmen’shands，andtapuforthefootofwomen。Evenaman’ssaddle，ifthemanbenative，isathingnoself-respectingladydarestouse。ThusontheAnahosideoftheisland，onlytwowhitemen，Mr。Reglerandthegendarme，M。Aussel，possesssaddles；
andwhenawomanhasajourneytomakeshemustborrowfromoneorother。Itwillbenoticedthattheseprohibitionstend，mostofthem，toanincreasedreservebetweenthesexes。Regardforfemalechastityistheusualexcuseforthesedisabilitiesthatmendelighttolayupontheirwivesandmothers。Heretheregardisabsent；andbeholdthewomenstillboundhandandfootwithmeaninglessproprieties！Thewomenthemselves，whoaresurvivorsoftheoldregimen，admitthatinthosedayslifewasnotworthliving。Andyeteventhentherewereexceptions。TherewerefemalechiefsandIamassuredpriestessesbesides；nicecustomscurtseyedtogreatdames，andinthemostsacredenclosureofaHighPlace，FatherSimeonDelmarwasshownastone，andtolditwasthethroneofsomewell-descendedlady。HowexactlyparallelisthiswithEuropeanpractice，whenprincessesweresufferedtopenetratethestrictestcloister，andwomencouldruleoveralandinwhichtheyweredeniedthecontroloftheirownchildren。