SOCIETY-Islands, the name of certain islands discovered in the South Sea. They had this general name from Captain Cook in 1769. They are six in number, and lie very near to each other. The particular names which they bear among the natives are, Ulitea or Raiatea, Otaba, Balabola, Huahine, Tubai, and Maurua. They are situated between the longitude of 15° 57', and 152° west; and from latitude 16° 10' to 16° 55' south, the nearest island being about 40 leagues to the westward of Otaheitee.
"Here," says Captain Cook, "benevolent nature has spread her luxuriant sweets with a lavish hand; and the natives, copying the bounty of nature, are equally liberal, contributing plentifully and cheerfully to the wants of navigators." And Mr Forster describes the inhabitants of these fruitful regions, as ready at all times to perform kind offices to their esteemed guests; they would carry them in and out of the boats on their backs, to prevent the surf from wetting their feet; they often loaded themselves with the curiosities which had been purchased, and rarely refused to go into the water for any bird which had been shot. If the rain caught any of the ship's company on their excursions into the country, or the heat of the sun and fatigue of the journey oppressed them, they were invited to repose in their dwellings, and feasted on their best
provisions. Their friendly host stood at a distance, and never talked of any thing till they intreated him; all the while some one of the family was employed in fanning them with a leaf or the bough of a tree. Before they left the house, they were commonly adopted according to their different ages, in the quality of father, brother, or son: which circumstance took its rise from an opinion that all the gentlemen of the ship were related. The chiefs of all the Society-Islands were descended from the same family; the officers therefore, and all who dined or messed together, were by them considered as relations. Their hospitality was frequently quite disinterested, and led their visitors to form the most favourable conclusions concerning their conduct towards each other." In short, says Mr Forster, "they are hospitable without seeming to know it, and leave to strangers who visit them the pleasing and grateful task of recording their virtues."