CHAPTER VII.

A FEW days after Havili's unsuccessful attempt to secure the enemy's hogs, one of Finow's wives ran away from Neafoo. Being shortly missed by the rest of the women, in searching for her, it was found that one of his son's wives had taken the same step, and it was supposed they had gone together. When this was made known to the king, he left the fortress instantly, accompanied by five or six men, and directed his course along the main road leading to Felletoa, but without any success. He returned very much dejected, and sent to his aunt, Toe Oomoo (the chief of the enemy), requesting to have his wife returned, stating, that it was a war between men, and not women; but his remonstrances had no effect. These wo

men both laboured under the jealousy and tyrannic influence of Möonga Toobo, Finow's favourite wife; and, partly to rid themselves of this, and partly to visit and live with relations whom they had in the opposite garrison, they made their escape, and taking a by-road near the sea-shore. On the morning of their departure, Mr Mariner was at some distance from Neafoo, gathering shaddocks in a thicket: for, although his wound did not allow him to use any active exertions, he

now and then went abroad by the help of a stick. Being up in a tree, he heard a rustling noise in the bushes below, and, directing his attention to the spot, was surprised to see one of Finow's wives. Prompted by curiosity, he came quickly down, and, seizing her by the arm, inquired what caused her to stray so far from the fortress, and to expose her person and her life to the insults and cruelty of the enemy. She replied, that she had only come out for a walk, and was going shortly to return. To this account he objected, that it was too far, and too dangerous a walk for her to take alone, with the risk of meeting Moteita and his followers, who often concealed themselves in those woods, and declared his suspicion that she intended to run away. She immediately fell on her knees, clasped her hands, and begged and entreated most earnestly, that he would not prevent her flight from the dominion of tyranny to the bosom of her relations; and appealed most pathetically to his own feelings and affections towards his mother, or whatever relatives he might have in his own country, and representing how hard and cruelly severe it would be for any one to prevent him flying to them, if it were otherwise in his power. Being moved by the earnestness of her manner, and the unfortunate circumstances of her situation, he raised her up, and promised not to interfere in her escape, nor to divulge the matter to any one, and gave her full liberty to proceed whichever way she thought proper.

Finow had, for a long time past, entertained the idea of seizing upon several of the enemy's women, who were in the habit of assembling at a certain part of the inlet, to gather shell-fish; and

now that his wife had run away, he was more than ever encouraged to do this, by way of retaliation upon Toe Oomoo, for her detention. The place where they procured this sort of fish, was upon a shelf of rocks, about a foot and a half deep at low water, that ran across the inlet at no great distance from Felletoa. Upon this shelf they were accustomed to fish every day, wading through the water. On these occasions, several men of their own party had frequently alarmed them by rushing out upon them, pretending to be the enemy; and had repeated this so often, that, at length, they only laughed at the joke, and ridiculed the idea of running away. One evening a party of

Finow's men, who had formed themselves for the express purpose of making an attack upon these women, set out in a canoe, and sailed to a part of the island where they could land unobserved, and proceed to the spot where they were fishing, without any danger of discovery, on account of the high bushes that were there in abundance. Being arrived on the spot, at an appointed signal they rushed out upon the women, who immediately set up a hearty laugh, taking them for their old friends, so fond of a joke; but, when they saw two or three knocked down with clubs, they ran away as fast as their strength and the resistance of the water would let them, and the men after them in full pursuit. There were thirty of them, of which number five were killed, and thirteen taken prisoners, the other twelve escaping safe to the opposite shore. In this affair the wife of Finow's son was very nearly retaken. She ran so exceeding swift through the water, knee-deep, and the young chief in pursuit of her exerted himself

so much to overtake her, although he was near enough to knock her down with his club, that he actually fell through fatigue. It must, however, be said in favour of the chief, that the weight of his club was a great disadvantage, whereas his lovely fugitive ran without any incumbrance, for, in her endeavour to quicken her pace, her gnatoo (dress) became loose, and fell from her waist. This was the only time that she looked back, from a sense of modesty, to see if it was recoverable, but she was under the necessity of pursuing her flight without it. The thirteen prisoners were conducted to Neafoo, though Finow had given orders that all that should be taken should be killed on the spot. The captors saved their lives, however, partly from motives of humanity, and partly from those of profit (as they could employ them in making gnatoo, &c.) When they arrived at Neafoo, a strong dispute arose between several relations of the prisoners, and those who had taken them; the former arguing that they had a claim to the women, according to the old Tonga custom, which decrees, that all persons shall be in the service of their older and superior relations, if those relations think proper to employ them: the captors, on the other hand, strenuously grounded their claims on the right of conquest. The dispute ran very high, and they referred it to Finow, who replied, that he should not interfere in it, and they might settle it themselves, as well as they could, for they had no right to bring the prisoners there to create disturbances, but should have despatched them according to his orders. At length he condescended to give his opinion, viz. that the most proper method would be, under these circumstan

ces, to cut each woman in two, and give one half to her relation, and the other to the captor. The affair, however, was amicably settled, without having recourse to such bloody measures-some being given up to their relatives, and others retained, upon terms mutually agreeable to all parties. About this time the two long expected canoes arrived from Hapai, laden with provisions; having been detained partly by contrary winds, and partly by the people going to visit their relatives at different islands.

It has already been mentioned more than once, that places which have been consecrated, either by express declaration, or by the burial of great chiefs, are forbidden to be the scene of war, and that it would be highly sacrilegious to attack an enemy, or spill his blood within their confines. This circumstance, however, occurred a few days after the dispute about the female prisoners; the particulars of it are as follow:-Palavali (brother of the warrior Havili) went out one day on a foraging party with six men in two small canoes, and landed near a consecrated inclosure, called Gnacao, one of the most fertile places in the whole island. Here they met with four of the enemy, who, perceiving their inferiority, made an endeavour to get into the consecrated place, where they would have been perfectly safe. Palavali, however, seeing their intention, got between them and the fencing, when one of the enemy made a bold push to pass his antagonist, and scramble over the reed-work, and had actually got one leg over, when Palavali struck him a furious blow on the head, and felled him dead within the place. Seeing now what he had done, he was struck with fear, and ran away to