and welfare, and that this god would take care that such pernicious attempts, on the part of the disgraced chief, should not affect the other chiefs of his army, or if they did, that he should be made acquainted with it by the priest.-The company now dispersed.

After this period Mappa Haano always wore mats as significant of his degraded state. He seldom attended any public ceremonies or assemblies, because it obliged him to sit along with the common people, and he could not 'brook, or, such occasions, to feel so much his inferiority to other chiefs, who formerly were his equals. It must not be supposed that he always wore these mats from pure humility, but rather from fear, for had he appeared without them, Finow might have been angry, and death might have been the consequence...!

There being now every day some desertion or another of either army to the opposite one, the king issued orders that every deserter from the enemy should be put to death, the same as if he had been a deserter from himself. This he did the better to avoid all communication between the two contending armies.

For some time past several of Finow's men had been killed in different instances, by three or four of the enemy, under the command of a

warrior named Moteitá, a most expert and daring fellow, who often ventured by night and early in the morning close up to the colo of Neafoo to kill any stragglers they could meet with. One morning a party of Finow's men, twelve or fourteen in number, among whom was Mr. Mariner, being out on a little excursion, surprised four of the enemy, who were busily employed digging ma* in a pit: these they immediately laid hold of, and dragged out of the pit, to take them home prisoners; imagining they had got Moteitá and his followers who had so often committed depredations upon them; and resolving therefore to make a signal example of their prisoners. A young chief, however, opposed this measure, and proposed that it would be better to cut off their heads at once, and take their heads home. This plan was immediately assented to, but some one observing that they had no knives with them, another casting his eyes upon the ground, remarked, there was something that would do as well; and taking up a shell from a neighbouring spot, where some persons had

Ma is a species of prepared food, consisting of breadfruit, or plantains, or bananas; buried for a considerable time under ground, in order to ferment.

VOL. I.

P

been eating large pearl oysters, he proposed to proceed to work with oyster-shells as substitutes for knives: this was immediately approved of, and the four unfortunate victims were taken in band. It was in vain that they begged their lives, protesting that they were not the persons they had taken them for: in vain did Mr. Mariner point out the cruelty of the act, urging them at least to kill them first speedily, and cut off their heads afterwards: to this remonstrance they answered that their prisoners deserved to be severely punished for the many atrocities they had committed; and as to killing them first, and cutting off their heads afterwards, they thought it unnecessary trouble. This horrible piece of cruelty was accordingly committed on the spot. They began the operation, (after having stripped themselves, to prevent their garments from getting bloody,) by haggling at the back of the neck; they then cut gradually round the throat, till they had got through every thing but the spine, which they divided by turning the head down, and giving it a violent twist. This being done, they washed themselves, resumed their gnatoos, and proceeded with the four heads to the garrison. It was still early when they arrived, and they found the king sitting with his friends on the

marly drinking cava.

The four heads were brought to him by different men, and placed in the middle of the circle upright with their faces towards Finow, who returned his thanks (as customary) to those who had killed them. Mr. Mariner, having seated himself near Finow, the latter asked him why they did not kill them at once, without cutting off their heads: this question he asked partly from motives of humanity, and partly to know why they took so much trouble about them.

A few days after this event, Tooboo Boogoo, a certain priest, belonging to the colo of Felletoa, and who was a relation of Finow, having been consulted, regarding some matters of policy, gave advice which appeared to the Vavaoo chiefs more consonant to Finow's interests than their own, and they accordingly. objected to it, declaring that he wanted to act a treacherous part by befriending his relation: upon which he told them that if they could place no credit in his word, nor confidence in his honesty, he was of no use to them, and therefore they had better kill him at once, or at least confine him or if they had a mind to behave generously towards him, permit him to go away and live with Finow: the chiefs replied that they should take a little time to cou

́sider of it. He did not think proper, however, to wait for their decision, but made his escape early one morning, and took refuge with Finow, whom he informed of a design the enemy had of besieging him. In consequence of this information every preparation was made to put the fortress in the best possible state of defence.

Some time now elapsed in expectation of the enemy's approach; but there were no signs of them. Finow, in the mean while, came to a determination of making Vavaoo his place of constant residence. This he did for two reasons, first, because it was the largest and most fruitful of all his islands; and secondly, because by his presence he could better govern a people who appeared to be so little attached to his interests. It was now the scarce time of the year, and his stock of provisions began to grow short: it was necessary therefore to dispatch canoes to the Hapai islands for a fresh supply, that might last them till the season had so far advanced as to provide them with the vegetable produce of the surrounding country. A large canoe was therefore got ready, with orders tò return with yams and ma; she had an additional number of hands on board, with which to man another canoe that they were to bring back with them, laden in like manner. Several