445
Among the higher ranks, marriage seems to be con-ducted on principles of political expediency, with aview to strengthen alliances and family influence ; andamong the reigning family, brothers and sisters marry.This custom, so revolting to every idea of moral pro-priety, that the mind is shocked at the thought of itsexistence, appears to have been long in use ; and veryrecently a marriage was proposed at Maui , between theyoung prince and princess, both children of the sameparents ; a council of chiefs was held on the subject,and all were favourable. The opinion of the missiona-ries there was asked. The chiefs assigned as a reason,that being the highest chiefs in the islands, they couldnot marry any others who were their equals, and oughtnot to form alliances with inferiors, as it was desirablethat the supreme rank they held should descend totheir posterity. They were told that such marriageswere forbidden in the word of God , were held in abhor-rence by all [civilized and Christian nations, and hadseldom been known to leave any descendants to wearthe honour or sustain the rank the contracting partiesdesired thus to perpetuate.
Several of the chiefs present made no profession ofChristianity , and consequently were uninfluenced bysome of the remarks, but the concluding observationappeared of importance to them all. They said theythought there was some truth in it; that the late kingTamehameha, father of Rihoriho, had several wives,who were his near relations, and even his daughter-in-law, yet left no children, except those of whom Keo-puolani was the mother, and who, though a sacredchief of higher rank than her husband, was the grand-daughter of a princess of another island, and distantly