i, oi*; the champion then advances towards the chief who presides at the head of the circle (in this instance the king), sits down before him, out of respect, then rises immediately, and returns to his own party.

Such was the mode in which these clubfights were conducted: the prince engaged in several of them, and performed great feats of bravery: he fought no less than fourteen or fifteen battles, and always came off victorious.

The fighting with clubs being over, at a signal from Finow, the boxing and wrestling matches commenced. As their performances in these ways have been so accurately described by Captain Cook, it would be unnecessary to enter here into a detail.

These feats being over, the prince and his chiefs retired to the neighbouring houses to dress their heads with a sort of turban, made of white gnatoo, ornamented with small red feathers. Thus equipped, they returned to the

The words of this exclamation have, separately, no particular meaning: in respect to the pronunciation, the o in wo must be dwelt on at least five seconds; the a is to be sounded as in ah! tar, &c. the i as e in he, we, &c.: the whole is given in a sort of recitative, and very slowly.-N. B. when an e occurs in the Tonga language, it must be pronounced like a in date, late, &c. For farther particulars on the subject of pronunciation, see the grammar.

marly', when the chiefs sat down again among their own party, and the prince went up to his two brides, who were still sitting in the house, raised them up, one by each hand, and led them forth upon the marly amid the acclamations of the people, who clapped their hands, whilst the matabooles exclaimed, malie! malie! (well done! well done!). The young chiefs and their companions from Hamoa, sung the following song, beating, time with their hands: it is in the language of the Navigator's islands, and Mr. Mariner does not understand the meaning of it; he was so much in the habit of hearing the Tonga people sing in that language, which they affect to admire, though very few understand what they sing, that he neglected to enquire the meaning of this song; but the words, or rather the syllables (for it is hard to say whether they are divided quite right), he remembers perfectly well, as many of the people went about all the following night singing it, according to the custom at Hamoa: the song is as follows:

Láfe láfe é, láfe láfe é,

Láfe láfe é chiniláu;

Chi a my' ta tó.

Ova láo fía tála ou.

Móegnagnóngo é, Móegnagnóngo é;
Toobó mo Laképa é, Toobó mó Laképa é.

Toobo mo Lakepa was the name of one of the brides, who was a greater personage than the other.

While this singing and these acclamations were going forward, the prince led his brides to the bottom of the marly with a slow and dignified step, and then returned, amid the same acclamations, into the house, and reseated them upon the bales of gnatoo: after which he commenced a dance on the marly with the young chiefs, who had put on turbans. This dance was also after the manner of the Navigator's islands, and seemed to afford the people much entertainment: in Mr. Mariner's opinion, there was not so great an exhibition of agility as in their own dances, but equally as much grace, and somewhat more attitude. In the mean time the brides were conducted to the residence of the bridegroom. The dance being concluded, the provisions were shared out: the two larger portions were allotted, by Finow's orders, to the new comers, (to be disposed of hereafter as they thought proper): the next largest was shared out to all foreigners, viz. natives of liji, Hamoa, the island of Fotoona, &c.; and the remaining heap, at an appointed signal, was scrambled for by all who chose to try their speed and dexterity.

This last scene afforded great diversion to all the spectators. The baked pig on the top of the heap was soon brought down, and mauled about in a most miserable way; being torn piece-meal, and so covered with sand and dirt as to be quite uneatable. The ceremony was now concluded by a general boxing-match; the men from the north of the island combating those from the south; till at length the men of the north drove their opponents entirely off the ground. On occasions of such fights the combatants are allowed to wear turbans, to resemble more nearly a real fight. It must here be observed that turbans are not allowed to be worn but in time of war, and then only by those who are going to battle, unless on occasions of formal rejoicings like the present, or at night-time among chiefs and matabooles, or among the common people when at work in the fields or in canoes. On all other occasions, to wear a head-dress would be disrespectful; for although no chief be present, yet some god may be at hand unseen. This custom is kept up with such strictness, that if a man were to wear a head-dress on other occasions, he would be sure to be knocked down by the first person he met who was a superior, and even, perhaps, if he were an equal. On

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'occasions, when a turban is allowed to be 'worn, it must be removed from the head when á superior happens to approach (unless in time of actual battle); but it is usual for the superior to say to one who is not much inferior, toogoo ho fow," keep on your fow,—as we would say, keep on your hat,-which compliment is generally accepted. The king used frequently to tell Mr. Mariner, that if he ever met any common fellow with his head covered, he should immediately knock out his brains! Mr. Mariner was, however, allowed, like other foreigners, to wear a head-dress without any restriction, as being supposed to be governed by different gods, and accustomed to different

manners.

But to return to our subject: it may be noticed that the form of the prince's marriage as here related, and which, for the most part, was according to the Hamoa custom, was not very different from that of the Tonga islands; but two parts of the Hamoa ceremony were in this instance left out, viz. the payment of something valuable to the brides' fathers by the bridegroom, such as bales of gnatoo, beads, &c. the brides being virgins: the other part of the ceremony, which in fact was to ascertain whether such payment was justly due, should