CHAPTER XI. SOON after Cow Mooala's arrival from the Fiji Islands, Finow received intelligence from Toobo Toa (chief of the Hapai Islands) that a canoe had arrived at Lefooga, from the island of Tonga, with a chief, and two young matabooles. They came to petition Finow for pardon, in behalf of a great chief, named Toobó Malohi, elder brother of Toobo Toa, who had been long resident at the island of Tonga, and had defended the cause of Finow's enemies. As this chief brought very interesting information of all the recent events at the island of Tonga, we shall give an account of these transactions in the order in which they happened, and conclude with the ceremony of pardon, granted to Toobo Malohi and his followers. Toobo Malohi had been chief of the fortress of Nioocalofa, on the island of Tonga, which, the reader will recollect, Finow besieged with the four carronades, and afterwards burnt to the ground. In consequence of which Toobo Malohi left it, with such of his followers as could save themselves, and fled up the country, to seek refuge in some other fortress. This chief had always been unfortunate. At the time of the great revolution of Tonga, and the early successes of Finow, he had fled to the Fiji Islands with his followers, and had resided there some time, gaining experience in the art of war. On his return to Tonga, he built the fortress of Nioocalofa, from which he was driven as already related. He next took refuge in some other fortress; from which, owing to the jealousy of the chief, or some other cause, he was obliged to depart, and seek shelter in a third; whence also he was exiled by some untoward circumstance; and became, in fact, a wanderer whom nobody would receive in a sincere and friendly way. At length, however, he thought he had found a permanent asylum in the fortress of Hihifo, with Teoo Cava, the chief who had made Finow a present of the extraordinary well trained bird. Teoo Cava received him and his followers in a very cordial manner, considering them a great acquisition to his strength; for they had the reputation of being all great warriors, well schooled in the military practices of Fiji. Teoo Cava, finding that no enemy thought proper to attack him, resolved to lay siege to the garrison of Nookoo Nookoo. He was successful in his attack, and took it with an inconsiderable loss of men; which being done, he determined, contrary to the advice of his matabooles, to garrison both fortresses. The reason the matabooles gave for objecting to this measure, was the readiness with which the enemy made their retreat. This they thought argued an intention of returning speedily, with fresh strength. Ambition blinding him, however, to his own proper interests, he neglected sage counsel; and, dividing his forces, reserved the choicest half, including Toobo Malo hi and his warriors, for his own personal safety in the garrison of Nookoo Nookoo, and commissioned the rest to defend Hihifo. In the course of the following night, the enemy made a desperate attack upon them. Having resolved to burn the place to the ground, they had appointed four hundred men to effect their purpose, each of whom was armed with a spear, and a lighted torch fixed at about a foot from the point of it. At a signal every man threw his flaming weapon at the fencing, or into the garrison, and, by the aid of this new invention, the place was set on fire in several points at the same time. With the view of rendering themselves more secure, the besieged had removed all the draw-bridges over the dry ditch round the fencing, except one. There was no ready means of escape, therefore, from the conflagration, which soon spread far and wide, except by one narrow path; and hundreds consequently were compelled to leap into the ditch, the sides of which were too steep to climb. Among these was Teoo Cava, who, with several other great chiefs and warriors, managed to get out, by climbing up the backs of those whose fidelity, at the utmost peril of their own lives, prompted them to lend their superiors this friendly assistance. Teoo Cava, having got out of the ditch, was now making the best of his way, unarmed, to Hihifo, when he was met by a native of Fiji, belonging to the enemy's party, who gave him the watch-word, which he was unable to answer. Instantly the Fiji warrior struck him so violent a blow on the head with his club, that he buried it in his brains. The club had got so locked into the broken skull, that he could not imme diately withdraw it; and he probably would have left it there, but discovering what a great chief he had killed, his club, we presume, from that moment appeared exceedingly valuable the pledge as it were of future greatness. The triumph of his feelings, therefore, prevented him from seeing or hearing another man, who was fast approaching; and whilst he was in the act of disengaging his weapon, his own brains were knocked out, and his speculations as suddenly destroyed, by one of Teoo Cava's men, whose swiftness of foot brought him just in time to revenge his fallen chief, by laying his enemy prostrate by his side. But dangers were thickening round this warrior, and he was compelled to leave the body of Teoo Cava on the field, and secure his own existence by a speedy flight to Hihifo; where all who succeeded in making their escape quickly arrived. The body of Teoo Cava was soon found by the enemy; it was conveyed to their fortress, cut to pieces, and (must it again be said?) dressed for food! Among the garrison of Hihifo was a chief named Ata, who had great reputation for political wisdom and military skill. He was a native of the island, and at the time of the revolution, when his friends and acquaintance went over to the Hapai Islands for peace and safety, he resolved to remain for the sake of his oldest and most sincere friend, Teoo Cava, and to assist and stand by him to the last. As Teoo Cava was now no more, Ata, conscious of his skill in war, and the confidence which all the men placed in him, proposed to take upon himself the command of the garrison; and his offers were gladly accepted. The other garrisons of the island soon hearing of the death of Teoo Cava, and the great losses he had sustained, several of them entered into league against Hihifo, and shortly commenced a siege, which lasted fourteen days; but at length, quarrelling among themselves, and finding the besieged hold out so manfully, and withal being struck with awful astonishment, at the extraordinary bravery of Maccapapa,* who was said to be invincible by the immediate protection of the gods, they raised the siege, and each party repaired as quickly as possible to its own fortress, lest it should be taken possession of by some enemy. During the siege of Hihifo, the women made themselves remarkable by their resolute assistance in the defence of the place; lest, for want of men, it should be taken by the enemy. The widows of Teoo Cava, † however, were so afflict * It will be recollected that Maccapapa was formerly in the service of Toe Oomoo; but at the peace he left Vavaoo, apprehensive that Finow might play him some treachery. + Speaking of Teoo Cava calls to mind a circumstance, mentioned in the Second Missionary Voyage, respecting Eliza Mosey and a black woman, both belonging to the American ship Duke of Portland, Captain Lovat Melon. The date is not mentioned. Through the treachery of Teoo Cava (who from mistake of pronunciation they call Ducava), the crew were all murdered, excepting three or four persons, among whom were Eliza Mosey and the black woman. The latter was still at the Hapai Islands when Mr Mariner left. She had become insane, but lived as a sort of domestic (being harmless), with a certain female chief, who treated her kindly. Eliza Mosey became one of the wives of Teoo Cava, who was much envied by the other chiefs on that account, she being a white woman. She made her escape afterwards, in the Union of New York, and arrived at Port Jackson, where she remained. Mr Mariner has since accidentally heard from a woman who had been at Port Jackson, that Eliza Mosey returned afterwards to Tonga, with a ship that went for the pur |