came extremely urgent, so much so, that Mr. Mariner could not refrain expressing them to the captain; but who refused (as might be expected) to accede to a wish which seemed to promise no future good to an individual in Finow's circumstances, arriving, in a strange country, without protection, and without patronage. This was a sore disappointment to him, as it must have been to one who was willing to make such large sacrifices to the accomplishment of his hopes;-to one who would have resigned a princely state and dignity, and all the respect paid by obedient subjects to an arbitrary monarch, for the sake of visiting a country, where, as Mr. Mariner explained to him, he could expect at best but a very inferior mode of life, comparing it with what he had been accustomed to. But the arguments this gentleman used were all in vain; Finow would not,-could not be divested of his wishes: he thought if he could but learn to read and write, and think like a Papalangi, that a state of poverty, with such high accomplishments, was far superior to regal authority in a state of ignorance.

Seeing, however, that his wish was this time at least destined to be thwarted, he made his friend solemnly promise,-and before their final

separation, made him again repeat that promise, and swear to the fulfilment of it by his father, and by the god who governed him, that he would some time or another return, or endeavour to return in a large canoe, (a ship,) and take him away with him to England; and in case his subjects should stand averse to such a measure, that he would complete his project by force of arms. Mr. Mariner acceded to this promise; and Finow embraced him, and shed tears.

It would be very interesting to know what would be the result of removing an individual, of Finow's disposition and intellectual powers, from the state of society in which he had been brought up, into a civilized country; into a scene so widely different from every thing he had been accustomed to, where every circumstance would be new, and every object calculated to draw forth the powers of his natural understanding, to judge of their propriety, absurdity, or excellence. Finow's intellect, as we shall by and by more clearly see, when we take a survey of his character, was far, very far above the common: there was interwoven in the very texture of his mind a spirit of philosophical inquiry, directed by the best of all motives-the desire of human improvement;

not the offspring of common curiosity, but that noble impulse, which goads the mind on in the pursuit of knowledge, at whatever risk, and with whatsoever suffering. But we must leave this subject for the present, to take a farther view of the transactions on board.

The captain had a quantity of pearl oystershells, which are considered by the natives a very beautiful ornament, and very scarce among them, as those which they have are not capable of being so finely polished: these attracted Finow's fancy, which the captain observing, made him a present of several; but, however, he did not direct his attention to mere matters of ornament: he reflected that he had very few gun-flints on shore; and he ventured, in a very modest manner, to ask the captain for a supply of an article that would be so useful to him in defending his newly established kingdom of Vavaoo against the encroachments of the Hapai people; and the captain liberally complied with his request.

Mr. Mariner had on shore, in a concealed place, the journal of the Port au Prince, which he was now desirous of securing. The reader may here be reminded, that in the early part

* Finow knew the use of a musket exceedingly well, and was a very good shot..

of Mr. Mariner's residence at these islands, the late king ordered him to give up his books and papers, which were afterwards burnt, as instruments of witchcraft; it happened, however, fortunately, that he had concealed this journal beneath the matting of the house, and thus it escaped the flames. After that period, reflecting what a risk there was of its being discovered, whether he left it there, or carried it about with him, particularly as the times were so unsettled, he confided it to the care of his adopted mother, Máfe Hábe, who faithfully kept it in her possession, concealed in the middle of a bale of gnatoo; which, along with others, was always conveyed to whatever island or distant place she went to reside at: and when she left Vavaoo to go and live with her father at the Hapai islands, she gave it up to Mr. Mariner, who concealed it in the middle of a barrel of gunpowder, without the knowledge of any one else; for although he had at that time considerable power and influence, and a sufficient number of confidential friends, he thought it best to conceal it in a safe place, where no native was likely to find it, and consequently no ridiculous prejudice likely to deprive him of it. To get it again into his possession, he obtained the captain's consent to

detain Finow. Fiji (the king's uncle) on board till the journal was brought to him; and accordingly two natives were dispatched, with directions where to find it: they had orders, at the same time, to bring back with them three Englishmen that were on shore, viz. James Waters, Thomas Brown, and Thomas Dawson. In the mean while Finow Fiji, on. understanding that he was detained a prisoner, turned very pale, and was evidently greatly alarmed: and even when Mr. Mariner explained to him the cause, he seemed still to think every thing was not right; and expressed his apprehension that they were going to take him to England to answer for the crime of the Hapai people, in taking the Port au Prince, and murdering the crew: the other assured him that his fears were groundless; for, as he was not a party concerned in that sad affair, the English people would never think of punishing the innocent for the guilty: "True!" he replied, "and you know that I have always befriended "you, and that I am not a treacherous charac“ter; and that rather than assist in taking a Papalangi ship, I would do all that lay in my.power to prevent such an outrage." To this Mr. Mariner cordially gave his assent, and the chief seemed quite satisfied: his people in the

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