Theislandersunderstandtheartofembalming，andpractiseitwithsuchsuccess，thatthebodiesoftheirgreatchiefsarefrequentlypreservedformanyyearsintheveryhouseswheretheydied。IsawthreeoftheseinmyvisittothebayofTior。Onewasenvelopedinimmensefoldsoftappa，withonlythefaceexposed，andhungerectagainstthesideofthedwelling。Theotherswerestretchedoutuponbiersofbamboo，inopen，elevatedtemples，whichseemedconsecratedtotheirmemory。Theheadsofenemieskilledinbattleareinvariablypreserved，andhungupastrophiesinthehouseoftheconqueror。Iamnotacquaintedwiththeprocesswhichisinuse，butbelievethatfumigationistheprincipalagencyemployed。AlltheremainswhichIsawpresentedtheappearanceofahamafterbeingsuspendedforsometimeinasmokychimney。
Buttoreturnfromthedeadtotheliving。Thelatefestivalhaddrawntogether，asIhadeveryreasontobelieve，thewholepopulationofthevale，andconsequentlyIwasenabledtomakesomeestimatewithregardtoitsnumbers。IshouldimaginethattherewereabouttwothousandinhabitantsinTypee；andnonumbercouldhavebeenbetteradaptedtotheextentofthevalley。Thevalleyissomeninemilesinlength，andmayaverageoneinbreadth，thehousesbeingdistributedatwideintervalsthroughoutitswholeextent，principally，however，towardstheheadofthevale。Therearenovillages。Thehousesstandhereandthereintheshadowofthegroves，orarescatteredalongthebanksofthewindingstream；theirgolden-huedbamboosidesandgleamingwhitethatch，formingabeautifulcontrasttotheperpetualverdureinwhichtheyareembowered。Therearenoroadsofanykindinthevalley。Nothingbutalabyrinthoffoot-paths，twistingandturningamongthethicketswithoutend。
THEREseemedtobenoroguesofanykindinTypee。Inthedarkestnightsthenativessleptsecurely，withalltheirworldlywealtharoundthem，inhousesthedoorsofwhichwereneverfastened。Thedisquietingideasoftheftorassassinationneverdisturbedthem。Eachislanderreposedbeneathhisownpalmetto-thatching，orsatunderhisownbread-fruittree，withnonetomolestoralarmhim。Therewasnotapadlockinthevalley，noranythingthatansweredthepurposeofone:stilltherewasnocommunityofgoods。Thislongspear，soelegentlycarvedandhighlypolished，belongstoWarmoonoo-itisfarhandsomerthantheonewhicholdMarheyosogreatlyprizes-itisthemostvaluablearticlebelongingtoitsowner。AndyetIhaveseenitleaningagainstacocoa-nuttreeinthegrove，andthereitwasfoundwhensoughtfor。
Hereisasperm-whaletooth，gravenalloverwithcunningdevices-
itisthepropertyofKarluna。Itisthemostpreciousofthedamsel’sornaments。Inherestimation，itspriceisfaraboverubies；andyettherehangsthedentaljewel，byitscordofbraidedbark，inthegirl’shouse，whichisfarbackinthevalley；thedoorisleftopen，andalltheinmateshavegoneofftobatheinthestream。*
*ThestricthonestywhichtheinhabitantsofnearlyallthePolynesianIslandsmanifesttowardseachother，isinstrikingcontrastwiththethievingpropensitiessomeofthemevinceintheirintercoursewithforeigners。Itwouldalmostseemthat，accordingtotheirpeculiarcodeofmorals，thepilferingofahatchetorawroughtnailfromaEuropeanislookeduponasapraiseworthyaction。
Orrather，itmaybepresumed，thatbearinginmindthewholesaleforaysmadeuponthembytheirnauticalvisitors，theyconsiderthepropertyofthelatterasafairobjectofreprisal。Thisconsideration，whileitservestoreconcileanapparentcontradictioninthemoralcharacteroftheislanders，shouldinsomemeasurealterthatlowopinionofitwhichthereaderofSouthSeavoyagesistooapttoform。
SomuchfortherespectinwhichsuchmattersareheldinTypee。
Astothelandofthevalley，whetheritwasthejointpropertyofitsinhabitants，orwhetheritwasparcelledoutamongacertainnumberoflandedproprietors，whoallowedeverybodytoroamoveritasmuchastheypleased，Inevercouldascertain。Atanyrate，mustyparchmentsandtide-deedstherewerenoneintheisland；andIamhalfinclinedtobelievethatitsinhabitantsholdtheirbroadvalleysinfeesimplefromnatureherself。
YesterdayIsawKory-Koryhiehimaway，armedwithalongpole，withwhich，standingontheground，heknockeddownthefruitfromthetopmostboughsofthetrees，andbroughtthemhomeinhisbasketofcocoa-nutleaves。To-dayIseeanislander，whomIknowtoresideinadistantpartofthevalley，doingtheself-samething。Ontheslopingbankofthestreamwereanumberofbananatrees。Ihaveoftenseenascoreortwoofyoungpeoplemakingamerryforayonthegreatgoldenclusters，andbearingthemoff，oneafteranother，todifferentpartsofthevale，shoutingandtrampingastheywent。Nochurlisholdcurmudgeoncouldhavebeentheownerofthatgroveofbread-fruittrees，orofthesegloriouslyyellowbunchesofbananas。
FromwhatIhavesaid，itwillbeperceivedthatthereisavastdifferencebetween“personalproperty“and“realestate“inthevalleyofTypee。Someindividuals，ofcourse，aremorewealthythanothers。
Forexample:theridge-poleofMarheyo’shousebendsundertheweightofmanyahugepacketoftappa；hislongcouchislaidwithmatsplacedoneupontheothersevendeep。Outside，Tinorhasrangedalonginherbamboocupboard-orwhatevertheplacemaybecalled-agoodlyarrayofcalabashesandwoodentrenchers。Now，thehousejustbeyondthegrove，andnexttoMarheyo’s，occupiedbyRuaruga，isnotquitesowellfurnished。Thereareonlythreemoderate-sizedpackagesswingingoverhead；thereareonlytwolayersofmatsbeneath；
andthecalabashesandtrenchersarenotsonumerous，norsotastefullystainedandcarved。Butthen，Ruarugahasahouse-notsoprettyaone，tobesure-butjustascommodiousasMarheyo’s；and，Isuppose，ifhewishedtoviewithhisneighbour’sestablishment，hecoulddosowithverylittletrouble。These，inshort，constitutethechiefdifferencesperceivableintherelativewealthofthepeopleinTypee。
Theylivedingreatharmonywitheachother。Iwillgiveaninstanceoftheirfraternalfeeling。
Oneday，inreturningwithKory-KoryfrommyaccustomedvisittotheTi，wepassedbyalittleopeninginthegrove；ononesideofwhich，myattendantinformedme，wasthatafternoontobebuiltadwellingofbamboo。Atleastahundredofthenativeswerebringingmaterialstotheground，somecarryingintheirhandsoneortwoofthecaneswhichweretoformthesides，othersslenderrodsoftheHabiscus，strungwithpalmettoleaves，fortheroof。Everyonecontributedsomethingtothework；andbytheunited，buteasy，andevenindolent，laboursofall，theentireworkwascompletedbeforesunset。Theislanders，whileemployedinerectingthistenement，remindedmeofacolonyofbeaversatwork。Tobesure，theywerehardlyassilentanddemureasthosewonderfulcreatures，norweretheybyanymeansasdiligent。Totellthetruth，theyweresomewhatinclinedtobelazy，butaperfecttumultofhilarityandtheyworkedtogethersounitedly，andseemedactuatedbysuchaninstinctoffriendliness，thatitwastrulybeautifultobehold。
Notasinglefemaletookpartinthisemployment；andifthedegreeofconsiderationinwhichtheever-adorablesexisheldbythemenbe-asthephilosophersaffirm-ajustcriterionofthedegreeofrefinementamongapeople，thenImaytrulypronouncetheTypeestobeaspolishedacommunityaseverthesunshoneupon。Thereligiousrestrictionsofthetabooaloneexcepted，thewomenofthevalleywereallowedeverypossibleindulgence。Nowherearetheladiesmoreassiduouslycourted；nowherearetheybetterappreciatedasthecontributorstoourhighestenjoyments；andnowherearetheymoresensibleoftheirpower。Fardifferentfromtheirconditionamongmanyrudenations，wherethewomanaremadetoperformallthework，whiletheirungallantlordsandmasterslieburiedinsloth，thegentlesexinthevalleyofTypeewereexemptfromtoil-iftoilitmightbecalled-that，eveninthattropicalclimate，neverdistilledonedropofperspiration。Theirlighthouseholdoccupations，togetherwiththemanufactureoftappa，theplattingofmats，andthepolishingofdrinking-vessels，weretheonlyemploymentspertainingtothewomen。Andeventheseresembledthosepleasantavocationswhichfilluptheelegantmorningleisureofourfashionableladiesathome。Butintheseoccupations，slightandagreeablethoughtheywere，thegiddyyounggirlsveryseldomengaged。
Indeed，thesewilful，care-killingdamselswereaversetoallusefulemployment。Likesomanyspoiledbeauties，theyrangedthroughthegroves-bathedinthestream-danced-flirted-playedallmannerofmischievouspranks，andpassedtheirdaysinonemerryroundofthoughtlesshappiness。
DuringmywholestayontheislandIneverwitnessedasinglequarrel，noranythingthatintheslightestdegreeapproachedeventoadispute。Thenativesappearedtoformonehousehold，whosememberswereboundtogetherbythetiesofstrongaffection。TheloveofkindredIdidnotsomuchperceive，foritseemedblendedinthegenerallove；andwhereallweretreatedasbrothersandsisters，itwashardtotellwhowereactuallyrelatedtoeachotherbyblood。
LetitnotbesupposedthatIhaveoverdrawnthispicture。I
havenotdoneso。Norletitbeurged，thatthehostilityofthistribetoforeigners，andthehereditaryfeudstheycarryonagainsttheirfellow-islandersbeyondthemountains，arefactswhichcontradictme。Notso；theseapparentdiscrepanciesareeasilyreconciled。Bymanyalegendarytaleofviolenceandwrong，aswellasbyeventswhichhavepassedbeforetheireyes，thesepeoplehavebeentaughttolookuponwhitemenwithabhorrence。ThecruelinvasionoftheircountrybyPorterhasalonefurnishedthemwithampleprovocation；andIcansympathizeinthespiritwhichpromptstheTypeewarriortoguardallthepassestohisvalleywiththepointofhislevelledspear，and，standinguponthebeach，withhisbackturneduponhisgreenhome，toholdatbaytheintrudingEuropean。
Astotheoriginoftheenmityofthisparticularclantowardstheneighbouringtribes，Icannotsoconfidentlyspeak。Iwillnotsaythattheirfoesaretheaggressors，norwillIendeavourtopalliatetheirconduct。Butsurely，ifourevilpassionsmustfindvent，itisfarbettertoexpendthemonstrangersandaliens，thaninthebosomofthecommunityinwhichwedwell。Inmanypolishedcountriescivilcontentions，aswellasdomesticenmities，areprevalent，atthesametimethatthemostatrociousforeignwarsarewaged。Howmuchlessguilty，then，areourislanders，whoofthesethreesinsareonlychargeablewithone，andthattheleastcriminal！
Thereaderwill，erelong，havereasontosuspectthattheTypeesarenotfreefromtheguiltofcannibalism；andhewillthen，perhaps，chargemewithadmiringapeopleagainstwhomsoodiousacrimeischargeable。Butthisonlyenormityintheircharacterisnothalfsohorribleasitisusuallydescribed。Accordingtothepopularfictions，thecrewsofvessels，shipwreckedonsomebarbarouscoast，areeatenalivelikesomanydaintyjointsbytheuncivilinhabitants；andunfortunatevoyagersareluredintosmilingandtreacherousbays；knockedontheheadwithoutlandishwarclubs；
andservedupwithoutanypreliminarydressing。Intruth，sohorrificandimprobablearetheseaccounts，thatmanysensibleandwell-informedpeoplewillnotbelievethatanycannibalsexist；andplaceeverybookofvoyageswhichpurportstogiveanyaccountofthem，onthesameshelfwithBlueBeardandJacktheGiant-killer。
Whileothers，implicitlycreditingthemostextravagantfictions，firmlybelievethattherearepeopleintheworldwithtastessodepraved，thattheywouldinfinitelypreferasinglemouthfulofmaterialhumanitytoagooddinnerofroastbeefandplumpudding。Buthere，Truth，wholovestobecentrallylocated，isagainfoundbetweenthetwoextremes；forcannibalismtoacertainmoderateextentispractisedamongseveraloftheprimitivetribesinthePacific，butitisuponthebodiesofslainenemiesalone；andhorribleandfearfulasthecustomis，immeasurablyasitistobeabhorredandcondemned，stillIassertthatthosewhoindulgeinitareinotherrespectshumaneandvirtuous。