However, they have a pre-eminence over
the rest of the People, who pay them a kind of a Voluntary Obedience.
Upon the whole, these people seem to enjoy liberty in its fullest
extent--every man seems to be the sole judge of his own actions and to
know no punishment but death, and this perhaps is never inflicted but
upon a public enemy. There are 3 ranks of Men and Women: first, the
Eares, or chiefs; second, the Manahoonas, or Middling sort; and lastly,
the Toutous, which comprehend all the lower-class, and are by far the
most numerous. These seem to live in some sort dependent on the Eares,
who, together with the Manahoonas, own most, if not all the land. This is
Hereditary in their families, and the moment the Heir is born he succeeds
the Father, both in title and Estate; at least to the name, for its most
likely that the latter must have the power during his Son or Daughter's
Minority.

Note by Cook. Upon our arrival at Batavia, we were informed the two
French Ships, commanded by the Monsieurs Beaugainvile, touched at that
place in their way home from the South Seas two years ago. We were here
told many circumstances of these two Ships, all tending to prove that
they were the same ships that were at George's Island, which we judged
were Spaniards; being led into this mistake by the Spanish Iron, etc., we
saw among the natives, which is easy accounted for, for we are told that
while Beaugainvile in the Frigate was delivering up that part of Falkland
Islands possess'd by the French, to the Spaniards, the Store ship was
trading with the Spaniards in the River Plate, where it is very probable
she disposed of all her European goods, and purchased others to trade
with the Islands in the South Seas. To confirm these last circumstances
we were told that when they arrived at Batavia, the Frigate had on board
a great quantity of Spanish Dollars.

[Religion of Tahiti.]

Having given the best account I can of the manners and Customs of these
people, it will be expected that I should give some account of their
religion, which is a thing I have learned so little of that I hardly dare
to touch upon it, and should have passed it over in silence, was it not
my duty as well as inclination to insert in this Journal every and the
least knowledge I may obtain of a People, who for many Centuries have
been shut up from almost every other part of the world.

They believe that there is one Supreem God whom they call Tane; from him
sprung