Mr. Mariner requested Finow to order these men in, that a cannonade might be opened upon the enemy; but the king objected, stating that as the enemy ventured forward in an open body he would receive their attack, and fight them upon equal terms; that these guns gave him. too great an advantage over them, such as he scorned to take; that it was more honourable to fight them man to man than to use against them arms that were rather fitted for the hostilities of spirits than of men: at the same time he returned his thanks for the advantages formerly derived from the use of these weapons, which he thought well calculated for the destruction of forts.

The enemy now advanced within thirty. paces, and threw their spears instantly the Hapai army, too eager to remain longer quiet, sprang up, and rushing upon their foes, a close engagement commenced, which was obstinately maintained for about an hour, when the enemy were repulsed, and beaten completely back into their fortress. It was now twilight, but the Hapai warriors pursued them.

The use of artillery might convey to the imagination of Finow the same idea of tremendous warfare as is inspired by the expression of our great poet-

"Battle dangerous to less than gods."

VOL. I.

to their very doors. One chief in particular, Chioolooa, although he was wounded in the breast by a five-barbed spear, the shaft of which he had broken off, rushed even within the banks of their fortress, and there knocked out a man's brains; in making his retreat, however, he was wounded in the back by another spear, which, not being barbed, he drew out, and ran back to his own party; but the wound was mortal, and he lingered till the next day. This was the same chief, who, on the day of Toobo Neuha's burial, challenged any of the Vavaoo people to fight him (p. 153); he came to battle, he said, with a kind of presentiment that he should be killed, and was determined, therefore, to sell his life as dearly as possible.

It is not at all extraordinary that most of those who had assisted in the assassination of Toobo Neuha should fall victims, in this battle, to the vengeance of the enemy; but it is very extraordinary that one among them, viz Latoó lla, (who, as may be remembered, insulted the body of Toobo Neuha, and upbraided him with the murder of his father: see p. 147,) should altogether escape without a single wound or hurt worth mentioning: although he, like the rest of the assassins, was

the object of the vengeance of twenty men combined against him. This circumstance

gave rise to the general opinion that he was defended by the gods. He certainly fought with uncommon bravery, and this was the first time that he had distinguished himself; but it must be kept in recollection, that he was fight ing against a party whose late chief had slain his own father.

During this battle several of the Hapai women came to the scene of action, that they might be near their husbands to assist them if wounded. One of them, the wife of Toobo Toa, (Toobo Aho Mée,) was taken prisoner by the enemy, but extremely well used by them; and about three weeks afterwards she was sent back, from motives of respect, because she was a great egi (chief) of the family of Tooitonga (vide Rank in society, second volume) had she been of the king's family, she would no doubt have been retained a prisoner.

Night was now set in, but, by Finow's orders, a firing was kept up, merely with stones, to avoid a waste of shot, because no good aim could be taken this lasted for about an hour. The king's matabooles then made several speeches to the garrison, soliciting the Vavaoo chiefs to submit to the government of Finow,

but they objected, under the apprehension that they should be afterwards killed by the treachery of the king or of Toobo Toa. Finow then addressed them, threatening to remain there the whole night, and the next day to set about building a fort opposite theirs, and to keep up the war until they either yielded or were destroyed.

Shortly after this, however, he gave orders to his men to repair as silently and as speedily as possible to Neafoo. He deceived the enemy in this way, to prevent them proceeding by another road, and cutting off his retreat. The guns were given in charge to some of the principal warriors, with men under their command to drag them along. The labour of doing this for three miles was by no means trifling, particularly as the road was very uneven, and the task rendered the men very impatient; they 'swore heartily at all guns, and all Englishmen for making them, and wanted to know why they could not construct them a little lighter; or at least, as they had ingenuity enough to make the guns, they ought to have, they said, the ingenuity also to make legs for them to walk with.

Being arrived at Neafoo, the king, his chiefs, matabooles, Mr. Mariner, and some of the

Englishmen, went on board the canoes to pass the night. Mr. Mariner now, as well as in numerous other instances, found the advantage of having an adopted mother, by whom he was provided with plenty of good food, consisting of cooked yams, ripe bananas, and raw fish. They had partaken of no food all the day, and even now not above thirty or forty, consisting of chiefs and matabooles, got any thing to eat, for the time was too late, and the common men too fatigued, to cook yams enough for themselves that night; and as to raw fish, it was considered too good, and at that time too scarce, to give to them*.

* The idea of enting raw fish is not one of the least revolting to the imagination: and we are readily disposed to believe, that nothing but excessive hunger could render this species of food at all palatable: hence voyagers, on witnessing this act among the natives of these islands, have reasonably supposed them to be some of the lower orders much distressed for want of food (vide Labillardiere's voyage); but the fact is, raw fish is a very palatable diet, and is accordingly eaten as a matter of choice, not of necessity. Being strongly assured of this fact by Mr. Mariner, I ventured to make the trial, and repeated it several times upon mackarel, salmon, and turbot, and found the assertion perfectly correct all the preparation necessary, is to take off the skin, and wash the fish with a little salt water; it will then taste as relishing as the oyster, and very similar to it. If we eat the oyster raw, why not other fish?