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。
　　Butthetapuismoreoftentheinstrumentofwiseandneedfulrestrictions。Wehaveseenitastheorganofpaternalgovernment。
　　Itservesbesidestoenforce，intherarecaseofsomeonewishingtoenforcethem，rightsofprivateproperty。Thusaman，wearyofthecomingandgoingofMarquesanvisitors，tapushisdoor；andtothisdayyoumayseethepalm-branchsignal，evenasourgreat-
　　grandfatherssawthepeeledwandbeforeaHighlandinn。Ortakeanothercase。Anahoisknownas’thecountrywithoutpopoi。’Thewordpopoiservesindifferentislandstoindicatethemainfoodofthepeople：thus，inHawaii，itimpliesapreparationoftaro；intheMarquesas，ofbreadfruit。AndaMarquesandoesnotreadilyconceivelifepossiblewithouthisfavouritediet。AfewyearsagoadroughtkilledthebreadfruittreesandthebananasinthedistrictofAnaho；andfromthiscalamity，andtheopen-handedcustomsoftheisland，asingularstateofthingsarose。Well-
　　wateredHatiheuhadescapedthedrought；everyhouseholderofAnahoaccordinglycrossedthepass，chosesomeoneinHatiheu，’gavehimhisname’-anonerousgift，butonenottoberejected-andfromthisimprovisedrelativeproceededtodrawhissupplies，foralltheworldasthoughhehadpaidforthem。Henceacontinuedtrafficontheroad。Somestalwartfellow，inaloin-cloth，andglisteningwithsweat，maybeseenatallhoursoftheday，astickacrosshisbareshoulders，trippingnervouslyunderadoubleburthenofgreenfruits。Andonthefarsideofthegapadozenstonepostsonthewaysideintheshadowofagrovemarkthebreathing-spaceofthepopoi-carriers。Alittlebackfromthebeach，andnothalfamilefromAnaho，Iwasthemoreamazedtofindaclusterofwell-doingbreadfruitsheavywiththeirharvest。
　　’Whydoyounottakethese?’Iasked。’Tapu，’saidHoka；andI
　　thoughttomyselfafterthemannerofdulltravellerswhatchildrenandfoolsthesepeopleweretotoiloverthemountainanddespoilinnocentneighbourswhenthestaffoflifewasthusgrowingattheirdoor。Iwasthemoreinerror。Inthegeneraldestructionthesesurvivingtreeswereenoughonlyforthefamilyoftheproprietor，andbythesimpleexpedientofdeclaringatapuheenforcedhisright。
　　Thesanctionofthetapuissuperstitious；andthepunishmentofinfractioneitherawastingoradeadlysickness。Aslowdiseasefollowsontheeatingoftapufish，andcanonlybecuredwiththebonesofthesamefishburnedwiththeduemysteries。Thecocoa-
　　nutandbreadfruittapuworksmoreswiftly。Supposeyouhaveeatentapufruitattheeveningmeal，atnightyoursleepwillbeuneasy；
　　inthemorning，swellingandadarkdiscolorationwillhaveattackedyourneck，whencetheyspreadupwardtotheface；andintwodays，unlessthecurebeinterjected，youmustdie。Thiscureispreparedfromtherubbedleavesofthetreefromwhichthepatientstole；sothathecannotbesavedwithoutconfessingtotheTahukuthepersonwhomhewronged。Intheexperienceofmyinformant，almostnotapuhadbeenputinuse，exceptthetwodescribed：hehadthusnoopportunitytolearnthenatureandoperationoftheothers；and，astheartofmakingthemwasjealouslyguardedamongsttheoldmen，hebelievedthemysterywouldsoondieout。IshouldaddthathewasnoMarquesan，butaChinaman，aresidentinthegroupfromboyhood，andareverentbelieverinthespellswhichhedescribed。Whitemen，amongstwhomAhFuincludedhimself，wereexempt；buthehadataleofaTahitianwoman，whohadcometotheMarquesas，eatentapufish，and，althoughuninformedofheroffenceanddanger，hadbeenafflictedandcuredexactlylikeanative。
　　Doubtlessthebeliefisstrong；doubtless，withthisweaklyandfancifulrace，itisinmanycasesstrongenoughtokill；itshouldbestrongindeedinthosewhotaputheirtreessecretly，sothattheymaydetectadepredatorbyhissickness。Or，perhaps，weshouldunderstandtheideaofthehiddentapuotherwise，asapoliticdevicetospreaduneasinessandextortconfessions：sothat，whenamanisailing，heshallransackhisbrainforanypossibleoffence，andsendatonceforanyproprietorwhoserightshehasinvaded。’Hadyouhiddenatapu?’wemayconceivehimasking；andIcannotimaginetheproprietorgainsayingit；andthisisperhapsthestrangestfeatureofthesystem-thatitshouldberegardedfromwithoutwithsuchamentalandimplicitawe，and，whenexaminedfromwithin，shouldpresentsomanyapparentevidencesofdesign。
　　WereadinDr。Campbell’sPOENAMOofaNewZealandgirl，whowasfoolishlytoldthatshehadeatenatapuyam，andwhoinstantlysickened，anddiedinthetwodaysofsimpleterror。TheperiodisthesameasintheMarquesas；doubtlessthesymptomsweresotoo。
　　Howsingulartoconsiderthatasuperstitionofsuchswayispossiblyamanufacturedarticle；andthat，evenifitwerenotoriginallyinvented，itsdetailshaveplainlybeenarrangedbytheauthoritiesofsomePolynesianScotlandYard。Fitlyenough，thebeliefisto-day-andwasprobablyalways-farfromuniversal。
　　Hellathomeisastrongdeterrentwithsome；apassingthoughtwithothers；withothers，again，athemeofpublicmockery，notalwayswellassured；andsointheMarquesaswiththetapu。Mr。
　　Reglerhasseenthetwoextremesofscepticismandimplicitfear。
　　Inthetapugrovehefoundonefellowstealingbreadfruit，cheerfulandimpudentasastreetarab；anditwasonlyonamenaceofexposurethatheshowedhimselftheleastdiscountenanced。Theothercasewasopposedineverypoint。Mr。Regleraskedanativetoaccompanyhimuponavoyage；themanwentgladlyenough，butsuddenlyperceivingadeadtapufishinthebottomoftheboat，leapedbackwithascream；norcouldthepromiseofadollarprevailuponhimtoadvance。
　　TheMarquesan，itwillbeobserved，adherestotheoldideaofthelocalcircumscriptionofbeliefsandduties。Notonlyarethewhitesexemptfromconsequences；buttheirtransgressionsseemtobeviewedwithouthorror。ItwasMr。Reglerwhohadkilledthefish；yetthedevoutnativewasnotshockedatMr。Regler-onlyrefusedtojoinhiminhisboat。Awhiteisawhite：theservantsotospeakofotherandmoreliberalgods；andnottobeblamedifheprofitbyhisliberty。TheJewswereperhapsthefirsttointerruptthisancientcomityoffaiths；andtheJewishvirusisstillstronginChristianity。Alltheworldmustrespectourtapus，orwegnashourteeth。
　　CHAPTERVII-HATIHEU
　　THEbaysofAnahoandHatiheuaredividedattheirrootsbytheknife-edgeofasinglehill-thepasssooftenmentioned；butthisisthmusexpandstotheseawardinaconsiderablepeninsula：verybareandgrassy；hauntedbysheepand，atnightandmorning，bythepiercingcriesoftheshepherds；wanderedoverbyafewwildgoats；
　　andonitssea-frontindentedwithlong，clamorouscaves，andfacedwithcliffsofthecolourandruinousoutlineofanoldpeat-stack。