king on first coming into power: after a lapse of a few weeks, not finding it, I was under the necessity of requesting him to write another, which he did in the same method as before, by calling to his mind the original Tonga in which it was spoken. Sometime afterwards I found the first, and was much pleased to discover so little difference between them, that they appeared almost like copies which sufficiently evinced the correctness with which he remembered the original Tonga, and at the same time furnished an instance of the characteristic uniformity of his expression in his own language. Two or three months afterwards I reminded him of the propriety of writing down in the Tonga language all that he knew of their popular tales, speeches, songs, &c. while they were fresh in his memory; he did so, and at a subsequent period when the dictionary of the language was in a state of forwardness, I translated them literally with his occasional assistance, and had a new proof of the correctness, as to sense, of what he had before given me of Finow's speech, the English copies of which I had all along kept in my possession. As a retentive memory was a quality particularly essential to Mr. Mariner, under the circumstances in which he was placed, it is worth mentioning, that even when I became first acquainted with him he was able to read and translate French with considerable ease and fluency, although he had scarcely seen a French book, or spoken French since he had left school, a period of nearly eight years, during four of which he had resided among an uncivilized people, and had been constantly practising their language. But, however excellent may be his memory, it would ayal but little, if he had only seen a great deal without noticing much; I am very happy therefore to have it in my power to give some decided proofs that he possesses also that very valuable quality in a traveller, a spirit of observation.

Early in the month of May last, "Campbell's Voyage round the World" was published at Edinburgh, a considerable portion of which work is occupied in describing the manners and customs of the Sandwich islands, where the author resided about thirteen

months. At the period of this publication, the greater part of the following sheets was already printed off. On perusing Mr. Campbell's interesting book, I was not a little gratified to find confirmations of some things related by Mr.Mariner respecting those islands, which as he had only been there about three weeks, furnished me with additional proofs, if more were wanting, of his scrupulous accuracy and attention. Having put the book into his hands to peruse, he soon returned it to me, with the substance of the following observations: from which it will appear, that notwithstanding his short stay at those islands, he had made good use of his time, and that afterwards he did not neglect to obtain confirmations of what he had learnt, and farther information from a few natives of the Sandwich islands who were with him at Tonga; insomuch that he is enabled to state some things in the way of explanation which the before-mentioned work does not contain. I shall mention the different subjects in the order in which they occur in Mr. Campbell's book, paging them accordingly; and if that author, or his editor, Mr. Smith, sees any thing in Mr. Mariner's statements which he knows or belieyes to be incorrect, he will perhaps take an opportunity of stating his ob jections.

Page 123. The chief named "Crymakoo" Mr. Mariner was very well acquainted with: his name, as pronounced by some of the natives, is Cáramacoó. The reason of the indecision in regard to the pronunciation of Sandwich island words will be given below.

P. 126.

"Provisions were abundant" at Mowec," and much cheaper than either at Owyhee or Wahoo:" this, Mr. Mariner was informed, was occasioned by that island being much less frequented with shipping, and because few great chiefs lived there.

P. 128. It is "a great object of ambition among the higher ranks to have white people to reside with them." The king very strongly solicited Mr. Mariner to remain with him and be his secretary.

P. 140. The author, in this page, speaks of the narrow-minded principle of the white residents, who would not teach the na

tives how to read or to make looms, under the idea of losing their esteem by rendering themselves less necessary to them. Mr. Mariner had often occasion to remark the truth of this, and several times heard this maxim of the white people, "not to teach the natives more than was sufficient to gain themselves a good footing."

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P. 142. The chief here called "Terremytee" Mr. Mariner was also well acquainted with his name, according to our system of orthography, is Térremyty'; the two y's being pronounced like our i in kite, sight; but the first is light and the last heavy.

P. 146. William Stevenson here mentioned was the father of the child whom the Port au Prince brought to the Tonga islands, and of whom an account is given in the present work, p. 312.

P. 149. Captain Vancouver's promise to the king of the Sandwich islands is here noticed: Mr. Mariner several times heard the king speak of it, and always in a way that shewed he had placed much confidence in it. The king's name, here spelt "Tamaahmaah," is pronounced by Mr. Mariner, and is expressed by our orthography Támmeahméha; the first aspirate following the a and the latter preceding it. The editor, Mr. Smith, in note, page 210, remarks the different modes of spelling and pronouncing this name, employed by different travellers, and that the C and the T are scarcely to be distinguished in the pronunciation of the ianguage. The fact is, there are few of the natives but who have lost some of their front teeth, owing to an absurd custom of knocking them out as a sacrifice, for much the same purpose as the Tonga people cut off their little fingers: the consequence is, that their pronunciation, to the ears of a foreigner, is exceedingly indistinct : they often confound the r and the 1, possibly from this cause; but their indiscriminate use of the hard c and the t, Mr. Mariner is convinced, arises from this source; for instance, their word for "England," and for "country foreign," as given by Mr. Campbell, is "Kaheite," or "Caheite," but which properly should be Taheite, and is taken from the island of that name, which we call Otaheite;

and why this word Taheite has been adopted to designate foreign countries generally, and England particularly, I conceive to be because Captain Cook and his people were the first strangers, and consequently the first Englishmen they recollect to have seen, and who had come lately from Otaheite: hence, Taheite (or Caheite, as they who are too sensible of the inconvenience of wanting teeth call it,) very naturally at first signified the land whence Englishmen come; but at length, understanding there were many other countries in the world, they adopted this word as a general name. for any foreign land. The more proper word for England, which the best informed among them use, is Pritánë, from Britain. The phrase which Mr. Campbell uses for an Otaheitan is "Kanaka boolla-boolla," which should be properly Tanata Bola-bola, and does not signify literally a man of Otaheite, but a man of Bola-bola, which is the last of the Society islands which Captain Cook had left when he discovered the Sandwich islands. Mr. Campbell, in another place, instead of using as above the word kanaka, to signi fy a man, adopts the proper term tanata, and which is very similar to the Tonga word for man, viz. Tangata. It is well to mention that Otaheite is also called by the Tonga people Taheite.

P. 156. Boyd, the white resident, noticed as being inspector of the native shipwrights, had the same occupation even in Mr. Mariner's time, (1806.) The purchase of the Lilly-bird, here mentioned, he also heard the particulars of: the white residents called her the Lady-bird. Besides the schooner, the king gave the American captain 4000 dollars, and a number of hogs, in exchange for her. When Mr. Mariner saw her, she was being coppered, under the direction of Boyd. The king said that he should invade Atooi as soon as she should be ready for sea.

P. 157. Clerk, captain of the king's packet, and Hairbottle, captain of the Lilly-bird, Mr. Mariner also knew very well. The latter very often acted as pilot; he might also be called harbour master to the king. See p. 306.

P. 162. The author here mentions the laborious method of cultivating taro, and states, that even the king sometimes assisted in it, but why he could not conjecture, unless to set an example of industry to his people, but which, he acknowledges, they scarcely seem to want. Mr. Mariner was informed that other great chiefs as well as the king often assisted at this, and all kinds of laborious exercise, to render the body active, strong, and capable of enduring hardships.

P. 165. The number of white people on Wahoo is here stated to be nearly sixty in Mr. Mariner's time they were counted at ninety-four.

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P. 166. The author speaks of the drunkenness of the white people. Mr. Mariner observes that the natives also are strongly addicted to the same vice, when they can get the liquor, but that the king, to prevent such excesses, allowed of no stills but what were under the inspection of his officers, and that all spirit distilled was his property, which he sold or gave as favour or reward to whom he chose.

P. 167. The author here says, "There were no missionaries upon the island during the time I remained in it, at which I was often much surprised." Neither were there any in Mr. Mariner's time, and when the king was questioned upon the subject of Christianity, this was his remarkable reply: "I should be afraid to adopt so dangerous an expedient as Christianity; for I think no Christian king can govern in the absolute manner in which I do, and yet be loved by his subjects as I am by mine : such a religion might perhaps answer very well in the course of a few generations; but what chief would sanction it in the beginning, with the risk of its subverting his own power, and involving the islands in war? I have made a fixed determination not to suffer it." This declaration was made in the cabin of the Port au Prince, Mr. Mariner being present; Isaac Davis, one of the white residents, was the translator. Mr. Mariner is convinced that Davis gave a faithful representation of the sentiments of the king; for although the latter