AND SUCCESSFUL RESULT OF A VOYAGE IN THE SOUTH SEAS, PERFORMED BY ORDER OF THE GOVERNMENT OF BRITISH INDIA, TO ASCERTAIN THE ACTUAL FATE OF LA PÉROUSE'S EXPEDITION, INTERSPERSED WITH ACCOUNTS OF THE RELIGION, MANNERS, CUSTOMS, OF THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDERS. BY THE CHEVALIER CAPT. P. DILLON, Member of the Legion of Honour; of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, and of the Geographical Commander of the Hon. East-India Company's Ship Research. HURST, CHANCE, AND CO., ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD. NARRATIVE, &c. &c. CHAPTER I. MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE FRIENDLY ISLANDERS. On this subject I shall avail myself of the correct and interesting sketch of the Friendly Islanders given by Mr. Mariner; because, having arrived among them in early youth, and become perfectly acquainted with their language, manners, customs, and modes of thinking, he had better opportunities of observation than any one who either went before or came after him. His work, though highly valuable and interesting, is in comparatively few hands; and from personal observation, and the inquiries made of others when on the spot, I can bear testimony to its general accuracy. I begin with the DIFFERENT GRADES OF RANK. One and the same individual (a priest), who to-day is scarcely held in any estimation, may to |