turbance whatsoever. It was the prince and his party who entertained this high idea of his moderation; two other chiefs and their dependants thought otherwise of Finow Fiji, and expected he would prove a very powerful claimant*. Apprehensions were also entertained respecting the young chief Voogi, who assisted in strangling the child, for though it was not supposed he would lay claim to the sovereignty, yet being known to be strongly in the interest of Toobo Toa, his conduct required to be strictly watched. These were the chiefs, whose behaviour at this moment the young prince had to notice with a watchful eye. He had considerable confidence, however, in the sincerity of his uncle:-Toobo Toa was at the Hapaj islands: Voona and Voogi therefore were the two whose designs he had most immediately to be apprehensive of.

Such was the state of political affairs at the

*Finow originally had two brothers, viz. Finow Fiji, and Toobo Neuha, but by different wives. Finow's lengthened name was Finow Ooloocalála. The proper family name is Finow, but no member of the royal family is allowed to assume the family name till his appointment to the sovereignty, unless his father chooses to give it him as a sort of first name, to which his own proper name is attached, as was the case with Finow's brother, who was called Finow Fiji.

time of Finow's death. As soon as his body was deposited on the bales of gnatoo, as before mentioned, one of his daughters, a beautiful girl of about fifteen, who stood by at the time, went almost frantic with excess of sorrow. The expressions of her grief were at first in loud and frequent screams, or in broken exclamations: O yaooé! ecoo tammy é! O yaooé! Alas! -Oh! my father!-alas !-Her sorrow was so great that, at times, she appeared quite bereft of reason; and her truly pathetic expressions of it, joined to those of the widows, and female attendants of the late king, all beating their breasts, and screaming from time to time, rendered the house truly a house of mourning, beyond the power of the imagination to picture. The place was lighted up at night, by lamps with cocoa-nut oil, (used only on such occasions) presenting a scene, if possible, still more affecting than that which happened on the occasion of Toobo Neuha's death.

In the course of the night, Mr. Mariner went into the house several times, partly out of curiosity indeed, but principally moved by feelings of regret for the loss of his great and kind patron;-for though he could not in every point of view admire him as a man,-yet he could not but esteem him and reverence

him as a benefactor: he had received from him great and numerous favours; and notwithstanding his faults, there was a something essential in his character which commanded respect; and Mr. Mariner felt that, in losing him, he had sustained a very great loss. The prince checked him in these frequent visits to the house; urging, that as he was a man, he ought to feel as a man, and not mingle his sorrows with those of women; but if he wished to express his love for Finow, who had adopted him as his son, and had given him the name of a son whom he had lost some years before*, he should demonstrate that love and respect for the memory of so good a father, by engaging his attentions in the interests of his family, particularly in those of himself, who was his lawful heir ;—and not show his affliction by a silly profusion of tears and sighs, which was beneath the exalted character of a warrior.

* The name of this son was Tógi Oócumméa, (an iron axe) and was also the name of one of the gods of the sea; for as they only obtain iron axes from across the sea, they naturally attribute the advantages which they possess, in having such a useful instrument, to the bounty of a sea god, whom they have accordingly designated by this name. Finow's son, who was so called, was a great favourite of his father, who, when he adopted Mr. Mariner, gave him the same name, as a proof of his real esteem. Mr. M. always went by this name, or for shortness sake, Tógi.

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About the middle of the night, no actual disturbance had taken place, but some of the prince's confidents, who were dispersed about to be on the watch, brought intelligence that Voona was holding secret conferences with some of the natives of Vavaoo. The prince, however, thought it advisable not to take any active measures, nor to appear to notice it: he therefore merely ordered his spies to keep a strict eye upon their proceedings, and to obtain all the farther information they well could, without incurring suspicion. At the same time he resolved in his own mind, as soon as the consent of the people should establish his authority, to banish all suspicious chiefs to the Hapai islands. About an hour afterwards, he learnt that Voogi the preceding day had ordered sundry parties of his men to post themselves behind the bushes, on each side the road to Nioo Lalo, during the time that Finow's body was being carried there, with orders to rush out and kill all who accompanied the body, in case a fit opportunity presented itself: but no such opportunity having offered, his men had assembled armed along with him, at a house near the water side, with his canoe close at hand, and had been there all the preceding part of the night. The prince ordered that no notice should be taken of his hostile position, but that all

his own men should keep themselves well armed, and in perfect readiness to meet the enemy in case of a revolt: he also dispatched men to watch as narrowly as possible other chiefs, whom he began to think might be connected with Voogi. During the remainder of the night, no disturbance took place. In the morning, as soon as it was light, the people began to assemble on the marly, out of respect to the departed chief; and sat on the ground, waiting for the commencement of the ceremonies usual on such extraordinary occasions.

In the mean time, the prince, and his uncle, Finow Fiji, prepared cava at a neighbouring house, and presented it there to the priest of Toobo Totai, out of respect to that god, who was now become the tutelar deity of the young prince. By the mouth of his priest the god desired him not to fear rebellion; for who should dare to rebel against a chief who was the peculiar care of the powers of Bolotoo? He commanded him moreover to reflect on the circumstances of his father's death, as a salutary lesson to himself: "Your father," said the god," is now no "more-but why did he die?-because he "was disrespectful to the gods!" The conference here ended. A short time after, the prince, whilst reflecting on the words of the oracle, was addressed by a woman, who was sitting

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