This and all other Disputes is settled by the Neighbours and the party who is declared to be in the wrong, almost always submits at the first word and making a Peace offering to the Man offended, declares himself in fault, and desires he may think no more of it. No Man ever Claims a right to any land but his own, or His adopted Freinds, which he may Use during his Friends life, and should his Friend die without any other Heir the Adopted friend is always considered as the right owner and no man disputes his right.

If a Man bequeaths the Whole, or a part of His land or property to any Person before his Death, and there are Witnesses to prove such bequest none objects to it — tho the Heir himself should be absent and know nothing of it till the Witnesses inform him of the right he has and call him home to take posession.

These rules are handed down from the Father to the Son and they want no law to keep them in force and Nature has taught them to Use all Men as they would be Used by them, which is their common standard, and tho there are some exceptions Yet that I may [assert] with no more then truth is their General Charracter.

They have a Ceremony Calld Rahooe which is a Kind of Jubilee but have No fixd time allotted for keeping it — It is a Prohibition or Embargo laid on the Provisions, & Stock, in Whole or in Part; in any one or More Districts to prevent a Decrease by consuming the Provisions or Stock in or transporting them out of the Districts so Raahooe’d, which they are forced to observe under pain of being driven from their land. The Chiefs, Towhas, & Ratirras may at their Will and Pleasure Rahooe the whole or any particular Species of Provisions, Stock, Fish &c. within Their own limits and When they think Necessary to prevent a great decrease of Hogs they can Rahooe them thro the whole District — but the King can at his own discretion Rahooe several districts — and sends his orders accordingly to the Chiefs, Towhas & Ratirras to prohibit the expenditure or removal of such Provisions as he shall name within their Several Districts and Estates for the time Specified by Him; but he generally takes the advice of the Inferior Chiefs, Priests &c. — and they have always timely Notice before

Indigenous Histories