Otoo Is Styled Earee De Hie Of The Whole
Island; And We Have Been Told That Waheatoua, The King Of Tiarabou, Must
Uncover Before Him, In The Same Manner As The Meanest Of His Subjects.
This
homage is due to Otoo as Earee de hie of the isle, to Tarevatou, his
brother, and his second sister; to the one as heir, and to the other as
heir apparent; his eldest sister being married, is not entitled to this
homage.
The Eowas and Whannos, we have sometimes seen covered before
the king; but whether by courtesy, or by virtue of their office, we never
could learn. These men, who are the principal persons about the king, and
form his court, are generally, if not always, his relations; Tee, whom I
have so often mentioned, was one of them. We have been told, that the
Eowas, who have the first rank, attend in their turns, a certain
number each day, which occasioned us to call them lords in waiting; but
whether this was really so, I cannot say. We seldom found Tee absent;
indeed his attendance was necessary, as being best able to negociate
matters between us and them, on which service he was always employed; and
he executed it, I have reason to believe, to the satisfaction of both
parties.
It is to be regretted, that we know little more of this government than the
general out-line; for, of its subdivisions, classes, or orders of the
constituent parts, how disposed, or in what manner connected, so as to form
one body politic, we know but little.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 582 of 885
Words from 157186 to 157451
of 239428
