The origin and development of the moral ideas

by Edward Westermarck

[74] Martin, Reisen in den Molukken, p. 63.

Many of the South Sea Islanders have been described as honest among themselves, and some of them as honest even towards Europeans.[75] In the opinion of Captain Cook the light-coloured Polynesians have thievish propensities, but the dark-coloured not.[76] In the Tonga Islands theft was considered an act of meanness rather than a crime,[77] whereas in many other islands it was regarded as a very grave offence.[78] Sometimes the delinquent was subject to private retaliation,[79] sometimes to a fine,[80] or blows,[81] or the loss of a finger,[82] or the penalty of death.[83]

[75] Earl, Papuans, pp. 49, 80, 105. Seemann, Viti, p. 46 sq.; Anderson, Travel in Fiji, p. 130. Hale, U.S. Exploring Expedition. Vol. VI. Ethnography and Philology, p. 73 (Micronesians). Melville, Typee, pp. 294 (Marquesas Islanders), 295 n. 1 (various Polynesians). Williams, Missionary Enterprises in the South Sea Islands, p. 530 (Samoans). von Kotzebue, Voyage of Discovery into the South Sea, iii. 164 (people of Radack), 255 (Sandwich Islanders). Lisiansky, op. cit. p. 125 (Sandwich Islanders). Dieffenbach, Travels in New Zealand, ii. 105; Meade, Ride through the disturbed Districts of New Zealand, p. 162 sq.; Thomson, Story of New Zealand, i. 86; Colenso, Maori Races, p. 43. Bonwick, Daily Life and Origin of the Tasmanians, p. 9.

[76] Seemann, Viti, p. 47.

[77] Mariner, Natives of the Tonga Islands, ii. 162. In Ponapé (Christian, Caroline Islands, p. 72) and among the Maoris (Meade, op. cit. p. 162) thieves are said to be despised.

[78] Earl, op. cit. p. 80 (Papuans of Dorey). Ellis, Tour through Hawaii, p. 429; &c.

[79] Turner, Samoa, pp. 278 (natives of Humphrey’s Island), 343 (New Caledonians). Lisiansky, op. cit. p. 80 sq. (Nukahivans). Williams, Missionary Enterprises, p. 127 (natives of Rarotonga). Ellis, Polynesian Researches, iv. 420 (Sandwich Islanders).

[80] Earl, op. cit. p. 83 (Papuans of Dorey). Sorge, in Steinmetz, Rechtsverhältnisse von eingeborenen Völkern in Afrika und Ozeanien, p. 421 (Nissan Islanders of the Bismarck Archipelago). Williams and Calvert, Fiji, p. 22. Turner, Samoa, p. 281 (natives of the Mitchell Group).

[81] Cook, Journal of a Voyage round the World, p. 42 (Tahitians). Yate, Account of New Zealand, p. 104.

[82] Williams and Calvert, Fiji, p. 23.