CHAPTER XII. SHORTLY after Toobo Malóhi and his followers had departed for the Hapai Islands, Finow's younger daughter, named Saw-aw mái Lalángi (which, in the Hamoa language, means descended from the sky), about six or seven years of age, fell sick; on which occasion she was removed from her father's house to another inside a fencing, consecrated to Tali-y-Toobo, the patron god of the Hows. Almost every morning a hog was killed, dressed, and presented before the house, as an offering to the god, that he might spare her life for the sake of Finow. On these occasions, one or other of the matabooles, and sometimes two or three in succession, made an address to the invoked divinity (for he had no priest), to the following purpose: "Here thou seest assembled Finow and his chiefs, and the principal matabooles of thy favoured land," (the Tonga Islands, taken collectively), "thou seest them humbled before thee. We pray thee not to be merciless, but spare the life of the woman * for the sake of her father, who has always been attentive to every religious * On such occasions they call the person for whom they intercede, however young, either a man, or woman, according to the sex, although they have appropriate words to express boy, girl, and child. ceremony; but if thy anger is justly excited by some crime or misdemeanour committed by any other of us who are here assembled, we entreat thee to inflict on the guilty one the punishment which he merits, and not to let go thy vengeance on one who was born but as yesterday. For our own parts, why do we wish to live but for the sake of Finow? but if his family is afflicted, we are all afflicted, innocent as well as guilty. How canst thou be merciless! dost thou not see here Finów ?— and is not Afoo here, who descended from ancient Tonga chiefs now in Bolótoo?-and is not Fotoo here, and did he not descend from Moomoće, formerly How of Tonga?—and is not A'lo here, and Niucápoo, and Toobó ?—Then why art thou merciless?" (spoken in rather an impatient and peremptory tone) "have regard for Finow, and save the life of his daughter. Every morning, as before stated, for about a fortnight, a hog was killed and offered to the god, and addresses were made similar to the above, and repeated five, six, or seven times a day, but the god seemed not to harken to their petition, and the child daily became worse. In about fourteen or sixteen days, finding their prayers unavailing, they took her to another fencing in the neighbourhood, consecrated to Toói foóa Bolótoo. Here the same ceremonies were practised for about a week, with as little good result. Finow, finding his daughter getting worse instead of better, ordered his large canoes to be launched, and his wives, chiefs, matabooles, in short his whole house + Finow was noted for his want of religion. The above words, therefore, were used as mere form, and because no one dared to say otherwise. hold, to go on board. His sick daughter was conveyed into the canoe which he and his wives occupied, Mr Mariner also being on board. They set sail for the island of Hoonga, which belonged to a priest called Toobó Téa, who was accustomed to be inspired by Finow's tutelar god, Toobó Totai. On this island several enclosures or fencings are consecrated to this god. To one of which his daughter was carried, and the same offering and same kind of address was frequently made; but in this case, not before the consecrated house where the sick child lay, but wherever the priest happened to be, which was generally at his own house or at Finow's. It must here be remarked, that those gods who have priests are invoked in the person of the inspired priest, wherever he may happen to be. Those who have no priest are invoked at the consecrated house by a mataboole, as was the case in the late instance with Tali-y-Toobó, who has no priest. Toobó Totai was thus invoked every day, in the person of his priest, during a fortnight or three weeks. Seated at the head of the cava ring, he seemed much affected, and generally shed a profusion of tears. To their earnest entreaties he scarcely ever made any answer, and when he did, it was, for the most part, to the following effect; "Why do you weary yourselves with entreating me?" (speaking as if he were the god) "if the power to restore the woman rested solely with me, I would do it be assured it is all done by the will of the gods of Bolotoo. Every day he visited the sick girl, occasionally sat down by her, took her hand, and shed tears. During this time the matabooles * See the form of invocation, p. 99. frequently repaired to the house of the priest, and laying cava before him, consulted him privately. On one of these occasions, Finow not being present, he told them that if they knew why the child was sick they would not come thus to invoke him. He then declared, in general terms, that it was for the common good. Finow, being informed of this, addressed the priest at the consultation on the following morning, asking him (or rather the god within him) what he meant by the general good? "If my spirits are oppressed, are not those of all my subjects so likewise? but if the gods have any resentment against us, let the whole weight of vengeance fall on my head: I fear not their vengeance, -but spare my child; and I earnestly entreat you, Toobo Totái, to exert all your influence with the other gods, that I alone may suffer all the punishment they desire to inflict. To this the god returned no answer, and the priest retiring among the people, the company separated. As soon as Finow arrived at his house, his spirits much agitated, and his pride, in all probability, much hurt, he laid down on his mat, and felt himself indisposed. His illness hourly increased; and feeling, as he said, a secret presentiment of approaching death, his female attendants ran out and informed his chiefs and matabooles, who in consequence immediately repaired to his house, and found him unable to speak; for as soon as he saw them, he endeavoured in vain to give utterance to his ideas, and seemed choked by the vehemence of his inward emotions. At length a flood of tears coming to his relief, he acknowledged the justice of the gods, but lamented great ly that he was about to meet his death on a bed of sickness, instead of going to brave it in the field of battle. After a little pause, he said in a calm but firm tone of voice, " I tremble at the approaching fate of my country; for I perceive plainly, that after my death the state of affairs will be much altered for the worse. I have had daily proofs, that the obedience of my subjects is not excited by their love, but by their fears. Several chiefs and matabooles who, owing to the crowd, were not able to get into the house, but overheard what passed, went immediately to the priest of Toobó Totái, and presenting him cava root, sat down before him. An old mataboole then addressed him, stating that they had firm belief in the power which the gods possessed of inflicting what punishment they chose upon mortals. But he entreated the gods to use his influence with the other powers of Bolotoo, that they might not take offence at what Finow had said in the morning, which was merely spoken on the impulse of the moment, when warmly agitated with sentiments of affection for his daughter, and not from any real disrespect to the gods. He supplicated him also to have regard to the general good of the islands, and not, by depriving them of Finow, involve the whole nation in anarchy and confusion. The priest remained some time in silence, and was much affected. At length he announced that the gods of Bolotoo had, for a long time past, debated among themselves with regard to the punishment they should inflict upon Finow, for the many instances he had shown of disobe dience to religious precepts, and of exceeding dis respect for divine power; that they had at first re |