General Account of the Sandwich Islands, continued.--Government.--People divided into three Classes,--Power of Erreetaboo.--Genealogy of the Kings of Owhyhee and Mowee.--Power of the Chiefs.--State of the inferior Class. --Punishment of Crimes.--Religion.--Society of Priests.--The Orono.--Their Idols.--Songs chanted by the Chiefs, before they drink Ava.--Human Sacrifices.--Custom of knocking out the fore Teeth.--Notions with regard to a future State.--Marriages.--Remarkable Instance of Jealousy.--Funeral Rites. The people of these islands are manifestly divided into three classes. The first are the _Erees_, or chiefs, of each district, one of which is superior to the rest, and is called at Owhyhee _Eree-taboo_, and _Eree- moee_. By the first of these words they express his absolute authority; and by the latter, that all are obliged to prostrate themselves (or put themselves to sleep, as the word signifies) in his presence. The second class are those who appear to enjoy a right of property without authority. The third are the _towtows_, or servants, who have neither rank nor property. It is not possible to give any thing like a systematical account of the subordination of these classes to each other, without departing from that strict veracity, which, in works of this nature, is more satisfactory than conjectures, however ingenious. I will, therefore, content myself with relating such facts as we were witnesses to ourselves, and such accounts as we thought could be depended upon; and shall leave the reader to form from them his own ideas of the nature of their government. The great power and high rank of Terreeoboo, the _Eree-taboo_ of Owhyhee, was very evident, from the manner in which he was received at Karakakooa, on his first arrival. All the natives were seen prostrated at the entrance of their houses; and the canoes, for two days before, were _tabooed_, or forbidden to go out, till he took off the restraint. He was at this time just returned from Mowee, for the possession of which he was contending in favour of his son Teewarro, who had married the daughter and only child of the late king of that island, against Tabeeterree, his surviving brother. He was attended, in this expedition, by many of his warriors; but whether their service was voluntary, or the condition on which they hold their rank and property, we could not learn. That he collects tribute from the subordinate chiefs, we had a very striking proof in the instance of Kaoo, which has been already related in our transactions of the 2d and 3d of February. I have before mentioned, that the two most powerful chiefs of these islands, are, Terreeoboo of Owhyhee, and Perreeorannee of Wohahoo; the rest of the smaller isles being subject to one or other of these; Mowee, and its dependencies, being at this time claimed, as we have just observed, by Terreeoboo, for Teewarro, his son and intended successor; Atooi and Oneeheow being governed by the grandsons of Perreorannee.