to swell and the culprit to suffer intense agony
for a considerable time afterwards. Or he might have to throw up a spiny
and poisonous fish into the air and to catch it in his naked hand as it
fell; the sharp-pointed spines entered into the flesh and inflicted
acute pain and suffering. Or he might be suspended by hands and feet
from a pole and in this attitude exposed to the broiling sun for many
hours together; or he might be hung by the feet, head downward, from the
top of a tall coco-nut tree and left there to expiate his crime for a
long time. For certain offences the culprit was condemned to have his
nose tattooed or his ears split. In sentences of banishment the term of
exile was never specified, but when the sentence had been pronounced in
full assembly, and the offence was great, the culprit might live in
exile for years. When the punishment consisted in the destruction of
houses, plantations, and live stock, it was immediately inflicted by the
whole force of the district, under the direction and superintendence of
the leading men, who had taken part in the assembly and passed the
sentence. A whole family might suffer in this way for the offence of one
of its members, and be driven into exile, after witnessing the burning
of their house, the killing of their pigs, and the barking of their
breadfruit trees.[30] If such penalties seem to us in some cases
needlessly severe, they at least testify to a strong sense of public
justice developed among the Samoans, who had thus advanced far enough to
transfer, in some measure, the redress of wrongs to judicial assemblies
instead of leaving it to the caprice of the injured individuals.
Nevertheless the transference was but imperfect: the administration of
justice was loose and irregular: for the most part every man was a law
to himself, and did what was right in his own eyes. An aggrieved party
would become his own judge, jury, and executioner. The thirst for
vengeance was slaked only by the blood of a victim.[31]

[28] J. Williams, _Narrative of Missionary Enterprises
in the South Sea Islands_, p. 456.

[29] G. Turner, _Samoa_, pp. 108-111; G. Brown,
_Melanesians and Polynesians_, pp. 149 _sq._, 290; J. E.
Erskine, _op. cit._ pp. 39, 101 _sq._; W. T. Pritchard,
_Polynesian Reminiscences_ (London, 1866), pp. 125 _sq._;
Violette, "Notes d'un Missionnaire sur l'archipel de Samoa,"
_Les Missions Catholiques_, iii. (1870) p. 168; J. B. Stair