Their instruments of war are spears; daggers, called _pahooas_; clubs, and slings. The spears are of two sorts, and made of a hard solid wood, which has much the appearance of mahogany. One sort is from six to eight feet in length, finely polished, and gradually increasing in thickness from the extremity till within about half a foot of the point, which tapers suddenly, and is furnished with four or six rows of barbs. It is not improbable, that these might be used in the way of darts. The other sort, with which we saw the warriors at Owhyhee and Atooi mostly armed, are twelve or fifteen feet long, and instead of being barbed, terminate toward the point, like their daggers. The dagger, or _pahooa_, is made of heavy black wood, resembling ebony. Its length is from one to two feet, with a string passing through the handle, for the purpose of suspending it to the arm. The clubs are made indifferently of several sorts of wood. They are of rude workmanship, and of a variety of shapes and sizes. The slings have nothing singular about them; and in no respect differ from our common slings, except that the stone is lodged on a piece of matting instead of leather. CHAP. VIII. GENERAL ACCOUNT OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS CONTINUED.—GOVERNMENT.—PEOPLE DIVIDED INTO THREE CLASSES.—POWER OF EREE-TABOO.—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 whom 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.