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Cow Mooala's narrative-His early residence at the
Fiji Islands-Is drifted to Fotoona on his return to
Tonga-Particular customs of Fotoona-Arrives
at Lotooma on his return to Fiji-Character of the
People Popular tale of two Giants-Arrives at
Navihi Levoo, one of the Fiji Islands-Character
of the People-Their Cannibalism-Observations
-Sails for the Island of Pau, the most important
of the Fiji Islands: its traffic-Account of an Eu-
ropean vessel wrecked there-Anecdote of a gigan-
tic Lizard (probably a crocodile), which did much
mischief at a neighbouring Isle: Stratagem used to
destroy it-Farther account of Pau-Description
of several Customs of the Fiji Islands-Descrip-

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Finow's younger daughter falls sick-Petitions to the
gods-Farther account of the mode of invocation-
Finow's illness-Debate among the gods respect-
ing Finow-This debate causes thunder and light-
ning-Supposed effect of Finow's illness and re-
covery on his daughter-His daughter conveyed to
the Island of Ofoo-Her death-Ceremony of her
burial-Strange custom of the people of Hamoa-
Finow's illness-Petitions to the gods-Strangu
lation of a child in the way of sacrifice-Finow's
death-Political state of the Tonga Islands, occa-
sioned by this event-Grief of Finow's daughter
-Mr Mariner rebuked by the Prince for his grief
at Finow's death-Suspicious conduct of Voona-
Consultation of the god Toobo Toty'-Report of
what had been Finow's intentions previous to his

Tonga Islands about thirteen months before Mr Mariner, that is to say, after a residence there of two years and eleven months. Being very young, he was one of the first who acquired a tolerable knowledge of the language. He practised their dances, and learned their songs ;-and although he had not the advantage of those better opportu nities which fell in Mr Mariner's way, and consequently is not so intimately acquainted, in certain points of view, with the poli tical sentiments, and moral notions and habits especially of the higher classes of the natives, which the superior education of the latter, as well as his relative condition among the Tonga chiefs, rendered him more apt to acquire; still, the information obtained from Higgins must undoubtedly be considered valuable, if only regarded as generally corroborative, and in a few instances somewhat corrective, of Mr Mariner's state

ments.

For three or four years (until December last) Jeremiah resided with his father, an old inhabitant of the town of Aylesbury, a man well known, and much respected, and in the employ of many farmers in the county as a hay-binder. Some time after the publication of the first edition of the present work, a copy was sent to Jeremiah, with a request that he would particularly remark and make a memorandum of whatever he conceived not to be correctly stated.

In the month of November last, Mr Higgins, the father, happening to be in town upon some business, called to inform me, that his son had been exceedingly pleased with the perusal of the work, particularly as it served to corroborate many things which he had previously related to his friends and neighbours, and to which he had reason to think they did not always give the credit that was due; insomuch, that he began to be heartily tired of an swering their numerous inquiries. Among those to whom he had given the most information prior to the publication of the work, was Mr T. Woodman, a very respectable and intelligent farmer, residing at Stone, near Aylesbury. As this gentleman had also read the book, I wrote to him to request the favour of his sentiments, with regard to the two unconnected sources of information, which had fallen in his way. From the answer which he obligingly sent me, dated Stone, 4th December 1817, I beg leave to extract the following paragraph, as bearing immediately upon the subject.

"I most certainly have many times, before your publication appeared in the world, asked Jeremiah Higgins many questions respecting the inhabitants of the Tonga Islands; but as he is a young man of a reserved disposition, the communications he made were always desultory, unconnected, and confined. Yet I cannot have the least

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