The same is the case among the natives of the Tami Islands[256].

Slavery is equally unknown among the Tamoes of Bogadjim[257] and the natives of the adjacent Dampier Island[258].

Result. Positive cases: North-western Solomon Islanders,
Natives of the Gazelle Peninsula,
Nuforese,
Papuans of Arfak,
Papuans,, on the Gulf of Maccluer,
Papuans,, of Adie,
Papuans,, on the Gulf of Kaimani,
Central Solomon Islanders,
Fijians,
Natives of Neu Mecklenburg and neighbouring islands,
Admiralty Islanders,
Papuans of Tabi,
Papuans,, of,, Ansus.
Negative cases: New Caledonians,
South-eastern Solomon Islanders,
Nissan Islanders,[[97]]
New Hebridians,
Natives of Torres Straits,
Papuans of Humboldt Bay,
Papuans,, near Lake Sentani,
Hattamers
Papuans of Ayambori,
Motu,
Mowat,
Toaripi,
Papuans on the mouth of the Wanigela river,
Yabim,
Natives of the Tami Islands,
Tamoes,
Natives of Dampier Island.
No conclusion: Papuans of Seroei,
Papuans,, of,, Windessi,
Karons.

[[Contents]]

§ 6. Polynesia.

All authors agree that the Maori of New Zealand had slaves; and the many details they give prove that slavery really existed[259].

The Tongans, according to Meinicke, had slaves, partly prisoners of war, partly condemned criminals[260]. Gerland, referring to a missionary report, speaks of slaves, tamaiveiki[261]. But in his very minute description of Tongan government and social classes[262] he gives no more particulars about these slaves; and Mariner who, according to Gerland, is very reliable[263], makes no mention of slavery. Mariner enumerates five social classes; the lowest class were the tooas, the bulk of the people, consisting of a. a few warriors, b. professed cooks in the service of the chiefs, c. those who tilled the soil and had no [[98]]other occupation[264]. Mariner only makes mention of captive women, so it is probable that no men were taken prisoners in their wars[265]. West states that there was a monarchical despotism, supported by an hereditary aristocracy. The people were divided into several, strictly separated, classes. The lowest class where the tuas, common people, subdivided into different trades: carpenters, fishermen, etc. The feudal principle, that the whole country belonged exclusively to the king, made the people slaves[266]. Such “slavery” of a whole people is not, however, slavery in the true sense of the word. Of slavery proper West makes as little mention as Mariner. We may, therefore, safely suppose that Meinicke and Gerland have been mistaken, and that slavery did not exist here.

With reference to Samoa Gerland speaks of two political parties who were always at war, “but they do not destroy their adversaries”, he says, “nor enslave them, as frequently members of the same family belong to different parties”[267]. According to Meinicke the prisoners were at different times differently disposed of; but among these modes of treatment slavery is not mentioned[268]. Wilkes states that their wars “were attended with great cruelty, and neither old or young of either sex were spared”[269]. Turner, a good authority, remarks: “Prisoners, if men, were generally killed; if women, distributed among the conquerors”[270]. We are not told whether these women were married, or kept in a slave-like state; but even in the last case this would be slavery of women only, and therefore not slavery in the proper sense. Krämer is the only author who speaks of slaves. The conquered party had to ask the pardon of the conquerors and to bring firewood as if to show that they considered themselves worth to be eaten like pigs. Often also they had to perform degrading work as slaves (pologa), to pay a tribute or even to furnish human flesh for cannibal purposes[271]. It would seem that this degrading work was imposed upon the conquered as a temporary punishment and that we have not to deal here with a permanent system of forced labour as among slave-keeping tribes. This being the only [[99]]reference to slavery in Krämer’s very detailed description of the Samoans, and slavery not being mentioned by any of our other informants[272], we may safely infer that it did not exist.

Gardiner, in his excellent article on Rotuma, says: “Slaves as such did not properly exist”[273].

Gerland and Meinicke, enumerating the social classes in the Rarotonga group (or Hervey Islands, or Cook’s Islands), make no mention of slaves. According to Meinicke, the lowest class are the common people[274]. So slavery seems to have been unknown here.