One wonders how it was invented among such a people, or who it was that first had genius enough to insist on obedience, to make rules, to prescribe the tabu, and, in short, to evolve order out of chaos.
The tabu was a most ingenious and useful device; and when you hear of the uses to which it was put, and of its effectiveness, you feel surprised that it was not found elsewhere as an appurtenance of the feudal machinery.

Thus the chief allowed his people to fish in the part of the ocean which he owned--which fronted his "land," that is to say.

He tabued one or two kinds of fish, however; these they were forbidden to catch; but as a fisherman can not, even in these islands, exercise a choice as to the fish which shall enter his net or bite at his hook, it followed that the tabued fish were caught--but then they were at once rendered up to the chief.

One variety of taro, which makes poi of a pink color, was tabued and reserved for the chiefs.

Some birds were tabued on account of their feathers; one especially, a black bird which has a small yellow feather under each wing.