a particular spot; which place being referred to and dug up, the teeth were found in a perfect state. This discovery was most firmly and most piously believed to have been made by the sacred interposition of the god himself, who inspired his favourite priest with the requisite knowledge to make it, In the Fiji Islands, whales' teeth are held, if possible, in still greater estimation; for it would be dangerous there for a man, unless he be a great chief, and even then, if he were a foreigner, to be known to have a whale's tooth about him. The personal possession of such valuable property would endanger his life. About this time the Hope, Captain Chase, of New York, arrived off the north-west coast of Vavaoo. When Mr Mariner heard the agreeable intelligence, he was with Finow at the small island of Ofoo, on the eastern coast, and he immediately asked the king leave to go on board, who very readily and very kindly gave his permission. Several matabooles were with him, one of whom whispered something to the king, which Mr Mariner imagining to be prejudicial to himself, endeavoured to distract Finow's attention, by repeatedly thanking him for his liberal conduct towards him, and expressing the grateful sense he entertained of his long continued friendship and protection; assuring him, that he had no other wish to leave the islands but what was prompted by the natural desire of returning to his native country, and the bosom of his friends. In the mean time, he very distinctly heard the king say to the mataboole," But why should I keep him?" and shortly after, his order to a fisherman to get ready instantly a certain canoe, and paddle Mr Mariner on board, removed from his mind a load of anxiety. He again and again thanked his benefactor; and, taking an affectionate leave of him, got into the canoe, and pushed off from the beach. There were three men to paddle, who, after four or five hours hard pulling, came up alongside the vessel. He saw upon the deck, Jeremiah Higgins, John Parish, and Hugh Williams. He hailed the ship; when some one looked over the quarter, and said, "We can't take you, young man ; we have more hands than we know what to do with." Mr Mariner could hardly believe the evidence of his senses; not take him! when he saw three of his companions already on board. He began to expostulate" It is no use your saying any thing, we can't take you," replied the other. He then offered to procure whatever provisions the ship might want; but the unfeeling miscreant turned his back, and gave no answer. Thus, in one minute, from the elevation of hope his soul sunk into despair; what to say what to do he knew not. Beside suffering the acute pain of disappointment, he found himself in a very awkward dilemma. If the natives knew that the captain had refused to take him, it would hurt his reputation greatly in their esteem, as they would look upon him to be a low-born tooa, without friends or consideration in his own country. During this time the men in the canoe were too much occupied in viewing the appearance of the ship, to pay much attention to him. Having at length a little recovered himself by resisting the disagreeable ideas that were crowding in upon his mind, he endeavoured to assume a cheerful countenance; and informed the men that unfortunately the ship was bound to a country as far from his, as his was -- from Tonga; and although the captain wished him to come on board, he had determined to remain at Vavaoo until some British ship should arrive.With feelings that almost choked his utterance, he now ordered them to return to Ofoo. Every body wondered to see him return: his story, however, was readily believed; but it seemed strange that he had brought them no presents from on board. "What a number of axes he has got for us!" said one ironically: "And what a heap of lookingglasses!" said another. "Beads will now become quite common, said a third; "for Togi is going to give necklaces to all the girls in Vavaoo. These jokes were exceedingly mortifying, and nothing could be worse timed. He endeavoured to laugh at their humour; and by way of apology for his neglect, he told them that he was so disappointed at not finding the ship bound for his own country, that he had forgotten to ask for some presents and besides, that he knew she had very few of those things on board, as she came from a country where they were scarce. Finow endeavoured to console him for his disappointment, assuring him in the kindest manner that he should go by the next ship bound to his own country. Another month now elapsed without any important circumstance occurring, when there arrived from the Fiji Islands four canoes, bringing a Tonga mataboole, named Cow Mooala and his retinue, who had been absent from Tonga many years: But a narrative of this person's adventures in foreign islands will best form a chapter of itself. Cow MOOALA went out to the Fiji Islands with a number of young men, for the sake of an excursion, and to mingle in the wars of those people; sometimes at one island, sometimes at another, from the same motives probably as actuated Tooi Hala Fatai: (see p. 78). After having been absent about two years, he set sail on his return home, and having arrived within sight of Vavaoo, the wind became unfavourable to land, and the sea running very high, he was obliged to change his course, and make for Hamoa, (the Navigator's Islands); but the wind soon increasing to a heavy gale, drifted him to the Island of Fotoona, situated to the north-west of Hamoa. As soon as the natives of this place observed his approach, a number of small canoes (for they were not in possession of sailing canoes) came from the shore to meet him; and, consistently with the laws and customs of the island, took possession of his canoe, and all his property. It forms an important part of the religion of this island to consider every thing that arrives there, whether of great or little value, as the property of their gods; no matter whether it be a large canoe, or a log of wood. It is first offered to the gods by the priest, with an appropriate address, and is afterwards shared out among the chiefs. This spoliation is believed to be necessary for the welfare of the country; lest the gods should send a sickness among them, and cut them off, for infringing upon the great doctrine of their religion. This seems a very arbitrary law, and likely to have been invented for the purpose of plundering strangers, under the mask of religion. But although they strip all strangers, without distinction, that come within their power, in return they fit them out with other canoes, (entirely at the expense of the chiefs who shared the plunder; and supply them with so much of the produce of the island as may be necessary to sup port them in their way home; together with presents of their gnatoo, mats, tortoise-shell, &c.; and withal behave very kindly: but not one single article that has been taken from them, however small the value, is again returned, even with the most earnest entreaty. Cow Mooala's canoe was laden with sandal-wood, † esteemed a very rich commodity at Tonga, but not one splinter of it was ever returned to him; although the natives of Fotoona could make no use of it, not having adopted This is the method of making offerings to the gods in Tonga; and, as Cow Mooala made no mention of any thing particular in this ceremony among the people of Fotoona, it is presumed to be conducted in the same way. + Sandal-wood is of the growth of one of the Fiji Islands, called Pau, and of only one spot upon this island, called Vooía. It has, indeed, been planted upon other of the Fiji Islands, but without coming to any state of perfection. It has also been transplanted to the Tonga Islands, but with as little success; for the wood thus produced possesses little or no scent, and consequently is unfit for their purpose. |