Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

venge so long within his breast, and the fitness of the occasion so spurred his resolution, that every day's delay appeared in his imagination the loss of an age. Finow's feeling upon the subject was supposed not to be very far remote from that of Toobo Toa; but as he saw very clearly that this chief's determination was fully bent upon his purpose, and required no encouragement from him, he chose merely by an outward shew of moderation and wisdom to give a sort of passive consent, and to remain by this means the spectator rather than the actor in the scene, and so to avoid if possible the odium of being an accomplice in the murder of so brave and good a man.

A few days now elapsed, and Toobo Neuha was still among the number of the living. One evening, about an hour before sun-set, the king desired Mr. Mariner to accompany him and his daughter to Mahina Fekite, about three quarters of a mile off; he was going, he said, to consult an old chief, Toge he Mooana, who resided there, upon some political busiFinow usually carried out with him a large whaling knife, (the blade of which was two feet long and three inches wide;) Mr. Mariner, observing, on this occasion, that he did not take his knife, asked him if he should take it

ness.

and carry it for him; he replied, No, I have no need of it: Mr. Mariner obeyed, and followed* him and his daughter, unarmed. In their way they came near to a pool, and Finow stepped aside to bathe, previously sending an attendant to Toobo Neuha, to desire him to come to him. By the time he had done bathing Toobo Neuha arrived, and all four pursued their walk to the old chief's house; where, when they arrived, the two chiefs and Finow's daughter entered the inside fencing, while Mr. Mariner went into a house within the outside fencing, and remained in conversation with a female attendant of Finow's daughter. They had not been long here, before Toobo Toa came in and shortly after went out again. There entered soon after four men belonging to him, who immediately began to take down the sail, mast and sprits of a small canoe; stating as their motive, when questioned by the woman, Toobo Toa's orders to prepare a canoe†: having taken what they wanted, they went out. In about two

When several persons walk together, it is customary

for one to follow another in a row.

† The orders they had received from Toobo Toa were, in fact, to get ready a canoe to make his escape in, if his intended project against the life of Toobo Neuha should fail. These four men were his confidents.

VOL. I.

L

hours Finow came out of the inner fencing, followed by Toobo Neuha and his own daughter; as they passed on, Mr. Mariner followed her, and the female attendant walked last.-It was now night, but somewhat moonlight. As they passed the corner of the outer fencing, Toobo Toa and the four men just spoken of rushed from their hiding place, and made a violent assault on Toobo Neuha: the first blow of a club he received on his shoulder, (intended for his head:) he immediately exclaimed "O yaooé Finow, teu máte (oh! Finow, am I to be killed?)" and retiring a few steps set his back against the fencing: Finow, who was several paces in advance, immediately made what was thought a feigned attempt to defend him, exclaiming "O yaooé sceoké gooa máte e tangáta! (alas! this noble man is killed!)" but he was held from his strong, yet pretended endeavour to run to his assistance, by some other attendants of Toobo Toa, who came up and forced Finow into the fencing. (It must be recollected that Finow did not choose to bring his whaling knife with him.) Toobo Neuha, who was without any offensive weapon, as he had been without any suspicion, warded off several blows with his hands and arms; till both these being broken, he was unable to lift them up, when a

blow from Toobo Toa, on the head, made him stagger, another knocked him down, and he was beaten as long as signs of life remained, and for some time after. At this moment a young warrior, whose name was Latoo Ila, and whose father had been formerly killed, under strong suspicions of conspiracy by Toobo Neuha, came up to the spot, possessed by a spirit of implacable revenge. He struck the body of the dead chief several times, and exclaimed, "The time of vengeance is come! thou hast "been long enough the chief of Vavaoo, living "in ease and luxury; thou murderer of my "father! I would have declared my sentiments

long ago, if I could have depended upon "others to second me; not that I feared death

66

by making thee my enemy, but the vengeance "of my chief, Toobo Toa, was first to be satis“fied, and it was a duty I owed the spirit of my "father to preserve my life as long as possible, "that I might have the satisfaction to see thee "thus lie stinking! (dead!)" he then repeated the blows several times upon his stomach.

[ocr errors]

On the first noise of the scuffle, Mr. Mariner imagining that Finow himself was attacked, attempted to rush forward, though unarmed, to his assistance, but was prevented by a strong

man, who taking him round the body, pinioned his arms to his side. The women, on hearing the sound of the blows, and the exclamation of Toobo Neuha, ran screaming into the fencing. In about ten minutes after the affair, nearly two hundred of Finow's people assembled, armed with clubs and spears, to a party of whom, with a chief at their head, Finow gave orders to go immediately to Toobo Neuha's people, who were at their temporary houses on the shore, and command them, in his name, to go on board their respective canoes, except the principal Vavaoo chiefs, who were to come into his presence. These orders were scarcely given when one of the late chief's adopted sons came before Finow, and striking his club against the ground, exclaimed "Why sit you there idle?

[ocr errors]

66

-why do you not rouse yourself and your men, to revenge the death of the fallen hero? if it had been your lot to have sunk thus "beneath the clubs of your enemies, would "he have hesitated to have sacrificed his life "for your revenge?-How great a chief he "was! how sadly he died!" reply, and the young warrior

and sat down.

Finow made no

retired a little,

The affection of the Vavaoo people for their

« ForrigeFortsæt »