they landed, they sat down to eat, not having taken any refreshment since morning, with the exception of some of the men, whose stomachs not being the most delicate, had partaken of some yams and plantains which were found roasting along with the bodies of the dead in the general conflagration at Nioocalofa.

They remained here several days, during which time several canoes were sent to an uninhabited part of Tonga for the purpose of procuring reeds to rebuild the fortress of Nioocalofa ; which step was taken by the admonition of the gods, consulted on the occasion through the medium of the priests and as the invocation of the gods, and inspiration of the priests, are circumstances that will often occur in the course of this work, it will be well to take the present opportunity of describing them.

The night previous to the consultation of the oracle, the chief orders his cooks to kill and prepare a hog, and to procure a basket of yams, and two bunches of ripe plantains. These things being got ready, the next morning they are carried to the place where the priest is, who is sometimes previously apprised of the circumstance, at other times not. The chiefs and matabooles then clothe themselves in mats, and repair thither. If it be at a house, the priest seats himself just within the eaves; * if at a distance, on any convenient spot of ground, and the matabooles range themselves on either hand, so as to form a circle, or rather an ellipsis, leaving a considerable space vacant oppo

* Their houses are built somewhat in form of a shed, open all round, and the eaves coming within about four feet of the ground,

site the priest. In this space, at the bottom of the circle, sits the man who prepares the cava, the root being previously chewed by the cooks, attendants, and others, who sit behind him. Behind these again sit the chiefs indiscriminately among the people, conceiving that such modest demeanour must be acceptable to the gods.

As soon as they are all seated, the priest is considered as inspired, the god being supposed to exist within him from that moment. He remains for a considerable time in silence, with his hands clasped before him, his eyes cast down, and motionless. During this time the victuals are being shared out, and the cava preparing, and the matabooles begin to consult him. Sometimes he an.swers them, at other times not; in either case he remains as formerly. Frequently he will not utter a word till the repast is finished, and the cava too. When he speaks, he generally begins in a low and very altered tone of voice, which gradually rises to nearly its natural pitch, though sometimes a little above it. All that he says is supposed to be the declaration of the god, and he accordingly speaks in the first person as if he were the god. All this is done generally without any apparent inward emotion or outward agitation; but on some occasions his countenance becomes fierce, and, as it were, inflamed, and his whole frame agitated with inward feeling. He is seized with an universal trembling; the perspiration breaks out on his forehead, and his lips, turning black, are convulsed; at length, tears start in floods from his eyes, his breast heaves with great emotion, and his utterance is choked. These symptoms gradually subside. Before this paroxysm comes on, and after it is over, he often cats as

much as four hungry men, under other circumstances, could devour. The fit being now gone off, he remains for some time calm, then takes up a club that is placed by him for the purpose, turns it over and regards it attentively; he then looks up earnestly, now to the right, now to the left, and so on, for several times. At length he suddenly raises the club, and, after a moment's pause, strikes the ground, or the adjacent part of the house, with considerable force. Immediately the god leaves him, and he rises up and retires to the back of the ring among the people. If the company now wish for any more cava, Finow, or the greatest chief present, goes and sits at the head of the ring.

It might be supposed that this violent agitation on the part of the priest is merely an assumed appearance for the purpose of popular deception; but Mr Mariner has no reason at all to think $0. There can be little doubt but that the priest, on such occasions, often summons into action the deepest feelings of devotion of which he is susceptible, and by a voluntary act disposes his mind, as much as possible, to be powerfully affected; till at length, what began by volition proceeds by involuntary effort, and the whole mind and body become subjected to the overruling emotion. But there is nothing new in all this. cient times, as well as modern, afford numerous instances of this nature; and savage nations, as well as civilized, display ample testimony that false religions, and false notions of religion, act upon some minds with such extraordinary impulses, that they are mistaken for divine inspirations.

An

It happens in the Tonga Islands, that per

sons, who are not priests, are often visited by the gods, particularly females, but who are never affected in the manner above described. They are generally low spirited and thoughtful, as if some heavy misfortune had befallen them. As the symptom increases, they generally shed a profusion of tears; and sometimes swoon away for a few minutes. The height of the paroxysm generally lasts from a quarter to half an hour. These are also called fits of inspiration, and are firmly believed to be visitations from some god who accuses the party of neglect of religious duty, not by an apparent audible warning, but by an inward compunction of conscience. But these things are also common enough in all parts of the world, at home as well as abroad. Some of the natives are such adepts at this sort of mysterious conversation with the divinities, that they can bring on a fit of inspiration whenever they feel their mind at all so disposed. Mr Mariner, indeed, did once witness a rare instance of a man who was disappointed in this particular. Finding himself, as he thought, about to be inspired, some cava was brought to him, (as is usual on such occasions), but, in a little while, he was obliged to acknowledge that the god would not visit; at which all present were greatly surprised, and the cava was taken away again.

These imaginations, however, have sometimes produced very serious consequences. To give an instance. On one occasion a certain chief, a very handsome young man, became inspired, but did not yet know by whom. On a sudden he felt himself exceedingly low-spirited, and shortly afterwards swooned away. When recovered from this,

still finding himself very ill, he was taken to the house of a priest, * who told the sick chief that it was a woman, mentioning her name, who had died two years before, and was now in Bolotoo, † that had inspired him; that she was deeply in love with him, and wished him to die, (which event. was to happen in a few days), that she might have him near her. The chief replied, that he had seen the figure of a female two or three successive nights in his sleep, and had begun to suspect he was inspired by her, though he could not tell who she was. He died two days afterwards. Mr Mariner visited him three or four times, at the house of the priest, and heard the latter foretel his death, and to what he ascribed it.

Now that we are upon this subject, it may not be amiss to mention Finow's son, who at this period of our history was at the Navigator's islands, and used to be inspired by the spirit of Toogoo Ahoo, the late king of Tonga, who, it may be recollected, was assassinated by Finow and Toobó Nuha. When this young chief returned to Hapai, Mr Mariner, who was upon a footing of great friendship with him, one day asked him how he felt himself when the spirit of Toogoo Ahoo vi

It is customary to take sick persons to the house of a priest, that the will of the gods may be known. The priest becomes immediately inspired, and remains almost constantly in that state while the sick person is with him. If he does not get better in two or three days, he is taken to another priest, &c.

† Bolotoo is the name they give to their paradise, and is supposed to be an island to the north-westward. The souls of deceased nobles become gods of the second rank in Bolotoo.