Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

the garrison of Hihifo at Tonga, which was upon friendly terms with him, but which he lately heard was very weak, and in great danger of being destroyed by the enemy. To the succour of his friends, therefore, he meant to proceed to Tonga with a strong army as soon as possible. To Toobo Toa's proposal of sull sending a tribute, Finow objected for two reasons, first, because Vavaoo itself yielded quite enough for the maintenance of his people, and secondly, because any tribute received from Toobo Toa might be construed by the people into an act of friendship and alliance, which ill suited with the sentiments they entertained towards the man who had formerly killed their beloved chief Toobo Neula. As to the annual • tribute for the inachi, it could not be dispensed with, because it was a religious act, and was necessary to be performed to ensure the favour of the gods, and to prevent any calamities which might otherwise be inflicted on them. Toobo Toa was obliged to accede to all that Finow had so reasonably said upon the subject; his pride, however, (as it was believed) was much hurt at feeling the necessity of coinciding. in the wishes of so young and inexperienced a chief. Whilst Toobo Toa was speaking, the tears ran down his cheeks, influenced probably

by the feelings of his heart, for he had a great respect for the late How, a real friendship for him, and felt a sincere regret for his loss. The same evening he took his leave of Finow, by performing the ceremony of moe-moe*, and repaired with his men to the canoes, in which the following morning he departed for Hapai.

Toobo Toa was greatly pleased with the appearance of the garrison, declaring that he had

* A kind of salute paid to the greatest chief present, and consists in bowing the head, (whilst sitting cross-legged before him) so that the forehead touches the sole of the chief's foot, (who sits in like manner) and then touching the sole of the same foot, (which may be either the right or the left) first with the palm and then with the back of each hand. The ceremony is also performed by persons who may have accidentally touched any part of a superior chief's person, or any thing whatever belonging to him; and unless this ceremony is performed after such contact, they cannot eat without danger (as they suppose) of swelling up and dying. They are very subject to indurations of the liver, and certain forms of scrofula hereafter to be spoken of, and which they conceive frequently happens from a neglect of this ceremony, after touching any thing belonging to a superior chief. They most frequently, however, perform it, without knowing themselves to have occasion for it, merely as a matter of caution. And if a man has eaten any thing without performing this ceremony when he had occasion for it, the chief applies the sole of his foot also to the man's belly, as a greater security against such swellings. Moe-moe means literally to touch or press. (See note, p. 150).

VOL. I.

G G

[ocr errors]

never seen any thing so warlike and formidable, not even at the Fiji islands, where he had lived several years. Finow had indeed given the strictest orders to make every thing appear in as good a state as possible, producing a tasteful display of clubs, spears, and arrows, arranged against the houses, with wreaths of flowers and certain warlike decorations. Upon the whole, when the size and strength of the place, with its situation, was taken into consideration, it was, perhaps, by far the most formidable fortification that had ever been established in any of those clusters of islands, in the midst of the southern ocean.

About a month after the departure of Toobo Toa, during which time nothing particular occurred, a fisherman from one of the neighbouring islands brought word that a small canog had been seen coming in a direction from Hapai. In a short time the canoe itself arrived, bringing one of Finow's principal warriors, Lolo Hea Cow Keifoo, and his two brothers, young lads, who had been at the Hapai islands in consequence of the illness of their father, who had resided there, but had since died. They brought intelligence that Toobo Toa had ordered all the canoes to be got ready as soon as possible,.and put in a state

for sea; and all his fighting men to hold themselves in readiness to depart at a moment's notice. In consequence of this order, Lolo Hea suspected, and indeed it was universally believed, that it was Toobo Toa's intention to make a descent upon the island of Vavaoo: hence he took the first opportunity to make his escape with his two brothers; for had he stayed to have come with the invading army, he could not in honour have deserted it, and would thus have been obliged to fight against his own countrymen*. Finow, on hearing this intelligence, was not backward in making the most judicious preparations to receive his enemy, and which he did, although he had no idea but that his intention was to land his men at Tonga, with a view to assist the garrison before spoken of; but still he held himself well prepared, according to the Tonga maxim, that is, never to suspect any thing without immediately making preparations for the worst.

To the rest of the preparations Mr. Mariner got ready a carronade, which had hitherto not been used, on account of its having been

* Such is the opinion of the Tonga islanders, that if a man be at any foreign island which is about to wage war with his own, he holds himself obliged to side with the people among whom he is (see p. 188, note.)

spiked. Having nothing wherewith to drill the touch-hole, he collected together a vast quantity of wood, and made a large fire, in the midst of which was the gun, of which, when hot, he readily cleared the touch-hole : it was then mounted upon a carriage. Thus Finow had three guns, six barrels of powder, and plenty of shot, for almost all the shot which had been fired in the former attacks upon the garrison, were again found and collected. Finow also sent a canoe to the islands of Togoo, to the N.W. of Vavaoo, to collect a cargo of round black pebbles, which are found there in abundance, to serve as shot. With all this ammunition, Finow was far superior to Toobo Toa, who had only two guns, and was withal very short both of powder and shot. All these preparations, however, were never required, for, shortly after, Tonga Mana's canoe arrived, bringing intelligence that Toobo Toa had proceeded with his army to the assistance of the garrison before spoken of in the island of Tonga.

About this time there happened a very heavy storm of thunder and lightning, which is always considered ominous by the natives, and esteemed the harbinger of some great event, such as invasion, death of a great chief,

« ForrigeFortsæt »