pervasive。’Whenanativesaysthatheisaman，’writesDr。
　　Codrington，’hemeansthatheisamanandnotaghost；notthatheisamanandnotabeast。Theintelligentagentsofthisworldaretohismindthemenwhoarealive，andtheghoststhemenwhoaredead。’Dr。CodringtonspeaksofMelanesia；fromwhatIhavelearnedhiswordsareequallytrueofthePolynesian。Andyetmore。AmongcannibalPolynesiansadreadfulsuspicionrestsgenerallyonthedead；andtheMarquesans，thegreatestcannibalsofall，arescarcelikelytobefreefromsimilarbeliefs。I
　　hazardtheguessthattheVehinehaearethehungryspiritsofthedead，continuingtheirlife’sbusinessofthecannibalambuscade，andlyingeverywhereunseen，andeagertodevourtheliving。
　　AnothersuperstitionIpickedupthroughthetroubledmediumofTariCoffin’sEnglish。Thedead，hetoldme，cameanddancedbynightaroundthepaepaeoftheirformerfamily；thefamilywerethereuponovercomebysomeemotionbutwhetherofpioussorroworoffearIcouldnotgather，andmust’makeafeast，’ofwhichfish，pig，andpopoiwereindispensableingredients。Sofarthisisclearenough。ButhereTariwentontoinstancethenewhouseofTomaandthehouse-warmingfeastwhichwasjusttheninpreparationasinstancesinpoint。Dareweindeedstringthemtogether，andaddthecaseofthedesertedruin，asthoughthedeadcontinuallybesiegedthepaepaesoftheliving：werekeptatarm’s-length，evenfromthefirstfoundation，onlybypropitiatoryfeasts，and，sosoonasthefireoflifewentoutuponthehearth，swarmedbackintopossessionoftheirancientseat?
　　IspeakbyguessoftheseMarquesansuperstitions。OnthecannibalghostIshallreturnelsewherewithcertainty。Anditisenough，forthepresentpurpose，toremarkthatthemenoftheMarquesas，fromwhateverreason，fearandshrinkfromthepresenceofghosts。
　　Conceivehowthismusttelluponthenervesinislandswherethenumberofthedeadalreadysofarexceedsthatoftheliving，andthedeadmultiplyandthelivingdwindleatsoswiftarate。
　　Conceivehowtheremnanthuddlesabouttheembersofthefireoflife；evenasoldRedIndians，desertedonthemarchandinthesnow，thekindlytribeallgone，thelastflameexpiring，andthenightaroundpopulouswithwolves。
　　CHAPTERV-DEPOPULATION
　　OVERthewholeextentoftheSouthSeas，fromonetropictoanother，wefindtracesofabygonestateofover-population，whentheresourcesofevenatropicalsoilweretaxed，andeventheimprovidentPolynesiantrembledforthefuture。WemayacceptsomeoftheideasofMr。Darwin’stheoryofcoralislands，andsupposeariseofthesea，orthesubsidenceofsomeformercontinentalarea，tohavedrivenintothetopsofthemountainsmultitudesofrefugees。Orwemaysuppose，moresoberly，apeopleofsea-rovers，emigrantsfromacrowdedcountry，tostrikeuponandsettleislandafterisland，andastimewentontomultiplyexceedinglyintheirnewseats。Ineithercasetheendmustbethesame；soonorlateitmustgrowapparentthatthecrewaretoonumerous，andthatfamineisathand。ThePolynesiansmetthisemergentdangerwithvariousexpedientsofactivityandprevention。Awaywasfoundtopreservebreadfruitbypackingitinartificialpits；pitsfortyfeetindepthandofproportionateborearestilltobeseen，Iamtold，intheMarquesas；andyeteventhesewereinsufficientfortheteemingpeople，andtheannalsofthepastaregloomywithfamineandcannibalism。AmongtheHawaiians-ahardierpeople，inamoreexactingclimate-agriculturewascarriedfar；thelandwasirrigatedwithcanals；andthefish-pondsofMolokaiprovethenumberanddiligenceoftheoldinhabitants。Meanwhile，overalltheislandworld，abortionandinfanticideprevailed。Oncoralatolls，wherethedangerwasmostplainlyobvious，thesewereenforcedbylawandsanctionedbypunishment。OnVaitupu，intheEllices，onlytwochildrenwereallowedtoacouple；onNukufetau，butone。Onthelatterthepunishmentwasbyfine；anditisrelatedthatthefinewassometimespaid，andthechildspared。
　　Thisischaracteristic。Fornopeopleintheworldaresofondorsolong-sufferingwithchildren-childrenmakethemirthandtheadornmentoftheirhomes，servingthemforplaythingsandforpicture-galleries。’Happyisthemanthathashisquiverfullofthem。’Thestraybastardiscontendedforbyrivalfamilies；andthenaturalandtheadoptedchildrenplayandgrowuptogetherundistinguished。Thespoiling，andImayalmostsaythedeification，ofthechild，isnowherecarriedsofarasintheeasternislands；andfurthest，accordingtomyopportunitiesofobservation，inthePaumotugroup，theso-calledLoworDangerousArchipelago。IhaveseenaPaumotuannativeturnfrommewithembarrassmentanddisaffectionbecauseIsuggestedthatabratwouldbethebetterforabeating。Itisadailymatterinsomeeasternislandstoseeachildstrikeorevenstoneitsmother，andthemother，sofarfrompunishing，scarceventurestoresist。Insome，whenhischildwasborn，achiefwassupersededandresignedhisname；asthough，likeadrone，hehadthenfulfilledtheoccasionofhisbeing。Andinsomethelightestwordsofchildrenhadtheweightoforacles。Onlytheotherday，intheMarquesas，ifachildconceivedadistastetoanystranger，Iamassuredthestrangerwouldbeslain。AndIshallhavetotellinanotherplaceaninstanceoftheopposite：howachildinManihikihavingtakenafancytomyself，heradoptiveparentsatonceacceptedthesituationandloadedmewithgifts。
　　Withsuchsentimentsthenecessityforchild-destructionwouldnotfailtoclash，andIbelievewefindthetraceofdividedfeelingintheTahitianbrotherhoodofOro。AtacertaindateanewgodwasaddedtotheSociety-IslandOlympus，oranoldonerefurbishedandmadepopular。Orowashisname，andhemaybecomparedwiththeBacchusoftheancients。Hiszealotssailedfrombaytobay，andfromislandtoisland；theywereeverywherereceivedwithfeasting；worefineclothes；sang，danced，acted；gaveexhibitionsofdexterityandstrength；andweretheartists，theacrobats，thebards，andtheharlotsofthegroup。Theirlifewaspublicandepicurean；theirinitiationamystery；andthehighestinthelandaspiredtojointhebrotherhood。Ifacouplestoodnextinlinetoahigh-chieftaincy，theyweresuffered，ongroundsofpolicy，tospareonechild；allotherchildren，whohadafatheroramotherinthecompanyofOro，stoodcondemnedfromthemomentofconception。Afreemasonry，anagnosticsect，acompanyofartists，itsmembersallunderoathtospreadunchastity，andallforbiddentoleaveoffspring-Idonotknowhowitmayappeartoothers，buttomethedesignseemsobvious。Faminemenacingtheislands，andtheneedfulremedyrepulsive，itwasrecommendedtothenativemindbythesetrappingsofmystery，pleasure，andparade。Thisisthemoreprobable，andthesecret，seriouspurposeoftheinstitutionappearsthemoreplainly，ifitbetruethat，afteracertainperiodoflife，theobligationofthevotarywaschanged；atfirst，boundtobeprofligate：afterwards，expectedtobechaste。
　　Here，then，wehaveonesideofthecase。Man-eatingamongkindlymen，child-murderamongchild-lovers，industryinaracethemostidle，inventioninaracetheleastprogressive，thisgrim，pagansalvation-armyofthebrotherhoodofOro，thereportofearlyvoyagers，thewidespreadvestigesofformerhabitation，andtheuniversaltraditionoftheislands，allpointtothesamefactofformercrowdingandalarm。Andto-daywearefacetofacewiththereverse。To-dayintheMarquesas，intheEightIslandsofHawaii，inMangareva，inEasterIsland，wefindthesameraceperishinglikeflies。Whythischange?Or，grantthatthecomingofthewhites，thechangeofhabits，andtheintroductionofnewmaladiesandvices，fullyexplainthedepopulation，whyisthatdepopulationnotuniversal?ThepopulationofTahiti，afteraperiodofalarmingdecrease，hasagainbecomestationary。IhearofasimilarresultamongsomeMaoritribes；inmanyofthePaumotusaslightincreaseistobeobserved；andtheSamoansareto-dayashealthyandatleastasfruitfulasbeforethechange。GrantthattheTahitians，theMaoris，andthePaumotuanshavebecomeinuredtothenewconditions；andwhatarewetomakeoftheSamoans，whohaveneversuffered?
　　Thosewhoareacquaintedonlywithasinglegroupareapttobereadywithsolutions。ThusIhaveheardthemortalityoftheMaorisattributedtotheirchangeofresidence-fromfortifiedhill-topstothelow，marshyvicinityoftheirplantations。Howplausible！AndyettheMarquesansaredyingoutinthesamehouseswheretheirfathersmultiplied。Ortakeopium。TheMarquesasandHawaiiarethetwogroupsthemostinfectedwiththisvice；thepopulationoftheoneisthemostcivilised，thatoftheotherbyfarthemostbarbarous，ofPolynesians；andtheyaretwoofthosethatperishthemostrapidly。Hereisastrongcaseagainstopium。
　　Butletustakeunchastity，andweshallfindtheMarquesasandHawaiifiguringagainuponanothercount。Thus，SamoansarethemostchasteofPolynesians，andtheyaretothisdayentirelyfertile；Marquesansarethemostdebauched：wehaveseenhowtheyareperishing；Hawaiiansarenotoriouslylax，andtheybegintobedottedamongdeserts。Sohereisacasestrongerstillagainstunchastity；andherealsowehaveacorrectiontoapply。WhateverthevirtuesoftheTahitian，neitherfriendnorenemydarescallhimchaste；andyetheseemstohaveoutlivedthetimeofdanger。
　　Onelastexample：syphilishasbeenplausiblycreditedwithmuchofthesterility。ButtheSamoansare，byallaccounts，asfruitfulasatfirst；bysomeaccountsmoreso；anditisnotseriouslytobearguedthattheSamoanshaveescapedsyphilis。
　　Theseexamplesshowhowdangerousitistoreasonfromanyparticularcause，orevenfrommanyinasinglegroup。IhaveinmyeyeanableandamiablepamphletbytheRev。S。E。Bishop：’WhyaretheHawaiiansDyingOut?’Anyoneinterestedinthesubjectoughttoreadthistract，whichcontainsrealinformation；andyetMr。Bishop’sviewswouldhavebeenchangedbyanacquaintancewithothergroups。Samoais，forthemoment，themainandthemostinstructiveexceptiontotherule。Thepeoplearethemostchasteandoneofthemosttemperateofislandpeoples。Theyhaveneverbeentriedanddepressedwithanygravepestilence。Theirclothinghasscarcebeentamperedwith；atthesimpleandbecomingtabardofthegirls，Tartuffe，inmanyanotherisland，wouldhavecriedout；
　　forthecool，healthy，andmodestlava-lavaorkilt，Tartuffehasmanagedinmanyanotherislandtosubstitutestiflingandinconvenienttrousers。Lastly，andperhapschiefly，sofarfromtheiramusementshavingbeencurtailed，Ithinktheyhavebeen，uponthewhole，extended。ThePolynesianfallseasilyintodespondency：bereavement，disappointment，thefearofnovelvisitations，thedecayorproscriptionofancientpleasures，easilyinclinehimtobesad；andsadnessdetacheshimfromlife。ThemelancholyoftheHawaiianandtheemptinessofhisnewlifearestriking；andtheremarkisyetmoreappositetotheMarquesas。InSamoa，ontheotherhand，perpetualsonganddance，perpetualgames，journeys，andpleasures，makeananimatedandasmilingpictureoftheislandlife。AndtheSamoansareto-daythegayestandthebestentertainedinhabitantsofourplanet。Theimportanceofthiscanscarcelybeexaggerated。Inaclimateanduponasoilwherealivelihoodcanbehadforthestooping，entertainmentisaprimenecessity。Itisotherwisewithus，wherelifepresentsuswithadailyproblem，andthereisaseriousinterest，andsomeoftheheatofconflict，inthemerecontinuingtobe。So，incertainatolls，wherethereisnogreatgaiety，butmanmustbestirhimselfwithsomevigourforhisdailybread，publichealthandthepopulationaremaintained；butinthelotosislands，withthedecayofpleasures，lifeitselfdecays。Itisfromthispointofviewthatwemayinstance，amongothercausesofdepression，thedecayofwar。WehavebeensolongusedinEuropetothatdrearybusinessofwaronthegreatscale，trailingepidemicsandleavingpestilentialcorpsesinitstrain，thatwehavealmostforgottenitsoriginal，themosthealthful，ifnotthemosthumane，ofallfieldsports-hedge-warfare。Fromthis，aswellasfromtherestofhisamusementsandinterests，theislander，uponahundredislands，hasbeenrecentlycutoff。Andtothis，aswellastosomanyothers，theSamoanstillmakesgoodaspecialtitle。