reserved state; and, secondly, on the grand and extensive scale presented to foreigners by way of showing themselves off to best advantage. But as to the first, every page of our work serves as an illustration; and with regard to the second, it would be difficult to furnish a more faithful account than has already been given in Cook's Voy. ages, which we regret is too long for quotation; but to which we urge the reader to refer, both out of respest to its accuracy, and because it involves a most interesting portion of time-that in which the natives had come to the resolution of assassinating Captain Cook and his companions. *

In describing the dexterity of the Tongans in their wrestling and boxing matches, Captain Cook observes, "Some of our people ventured to contend with them in both exercises, but were always worsted, except in a few instances, where it appeared that the fear they were in of offending us contributed more to the victory than the superiority of the person they engaged. The remark is a tolerable just one. The natives themselves mentioned the circumstance to Mr Mariner, stating that they allowed the Papalangies to get the victory sometimes, because they did not like to beat the poor fellows so much. There was probably, at the same time, a little apprehension of offending their visitors; for it is certain, that when a man is engaged singly with a chief much superior to him, he sometimes allows himself to be beaten, or rather yields out of respect to his opponent; and the sign by which he shows his disposition to do so is a sudden toss of the head on one side, upon which his antagonist immediately retires to his seat. There is something admirable in the perfect good humour and forbearance of temper which is always manifested on these occasion, sufficiently so to astonish natives of European countries: for on occasions when there is a general combat, (as related p. 176), even Tooitonga sometimes gets miserably handled by one of the lowest fellows in the island; but nevertheless he retires from the games without the least inimical spirit, although perhaps with

In the account given by Cook, there is only mention made of two principal dances, viz. mëé low folla, and mëé too buggi; but there are two others of some note, called hea and oóla. The first is one of the most ancient dances of Tonga, and is practised only by chiefs and superior matabooles; and is a dance very difficult to execute, not only on account of the accompanying gesture, but also of the singing. The chorus is composed of ten or twelve of the chiefs or principal matabooles, in the middle of whom sits one who beats time upon a loose flat piece of hardwood, about three feet long, and an inch and a half square, fastened only at one end upon another similar piece. This is struck by two small sticks, one in each hand, and produces a rattling sound. The difficulty of keeping the time is owing to the extreme velocity with which they beat, particularly towards the latter end. The dancers, who are all men, in the meanwhile perform their evolutions round the chorus, exhibiting a vast variety of very graceful movements with the arms and head, accompanied by expressions of countenance suitable to the character of the dance, which is that (abstractedly) to a manly and noble spirit, consistent with the mind and habits of a. superior person, and therefore it is deemed essential that every chief and mataboole should learn it. As among the ancient Greeks it was thought inconsistent with the character of a gentleman not to know how to strike the lyre, so, among the Tonga people, it would be considered a mark of great ignohis eyes black, his mouth and nose dreadfully swelled, and, it may happen, with his arm broken; all done by a man over whom he has the power of life and death.

rance to be unaccomplished in the graceful, manly, and expressive movements of this dance.

The night dance called oóla is a very ancient one in Tonga, though borrowed no doubt originally from the people of Hamoa. This dance was formerly only adopted in the Tonga Islands among the lower orders of people; but of late, some Tonga chiefs on a visit to Hamoa were so pleased with the superior gracefulness of the oóla, which was danced there, that they afterwards brought it into fashion among the higher classes in Tonga, with many improvements and graceful embel lishments borrowed from the former place: since which, the oóla of Tonga is grown quite out of use, even among the lower orders, though it was once danced in Mr Mariner's time, by order of the present king, on purpose to contrast it with the oóla of Hamoa. It was a very awkward exhibition in comparison with the Hamoa refinements, and probably will never be introduced again. The night-dance which Captain Cook saw (the méë low folla) is perhaps the only one which can be considered of Tonga invention, and is the only one accompanied throughout with Tonga songs: the rest belong to Hamoa and Nuha, and are accompanied chiefly with Hamoa songs; for although the dance called hea is considered a very ancient Tonga one, there is not much doubt of its being of Hamoa extraction, and accordingly most of its songs are in that language. The méë too buggi is a Nuha* dance, but the songs accompanying it are Hamoa.

* The islands of Nuha lie between Hamoa and Vavaoo,, and are known to navigators by the names of Traitor's Island, and Cocos Island.

Méë low folla, i. e. a dance with the arms outspread: a night-dance it is also called bo méë. Mée too buggi, i. e. a dance standing up with paddles a day-dance.

Hea; sometimes a day-dance, but mostly a night-dance.

Oola; a night-dance.

These public exhibitions of dances naturally lead us to speak of their music and poetry. With regard to their musical instruments, they have already been mentioned, except the fango-fango, which is a sort of flute blown by the nose: it is always filled by the right nostril, the left being closed with the thumb of the left hand. There are generally five holes for the fingers, and one underneath for the thumb; though some have six holes for the fingers, and others only four. The sound of them is soft and grave : they are only used as an accompaniment to one species of song called oóbe. At all concerts where there is no dancing, the singers sit during the whole time. The following are the different kinds of song. Low folla; this is only used with the dance so called, and is in the Tonga language.

Láve; of a similar character with the above sung without dancing, but accompanied with motions of the hands; also in the Tonga language.

Langi méë too buggi; always used with the dance so called: in the Hamoa language.

Héa; only used with the dance thus named: sometimes Tonga, but mostly Hamoa.

Hiva; similar to the above, but sung without dancing: they call European singing hiva, because probably the hiva is very seldom accompanied either with music or clapping of the hands: always in the Tonga language.

Oóla, singing accompanied by the dance so called. To this most of the annexed specimens belong-generally in the Hamoa language.

Fucca Nuha, or the Nuha fashion of singing. This is never accompanied with dancing, and is always sung in the Tonga language. Most of their songs are descriptive of scenery, but some of these are descriptive of past events, or of places which are out of their reach, such as Bolotoo and Papalangi. The accounts they give of the latter place are ludicrous enough. The poet describes, among other things, the animals belonging to the country, stating that in the fields there are large pigs with horns, that eat grass; and, at the mood, there are houses that are pulled along by enormous birds. The women are described to be so covered with dress, that a native of Tonga, coming into a house, takes a lady for a bundle of Papalangi gnatoo (linen, &c.), and accordingly places it across his shoulder to carry it away, when, to his great amazement, the bundle jumps down and runs off. One of these songs describes the principal events that happened during Captain Cook's visit, and which, excepting a little exaggeration, is tolerably correct. Another describes the visit of Admiral d'Entrecasteaux. Another the revolution of Tonga, and the famous battle that was there fought, &c. The song in the first volume, p. 244, belongs to this class of musical composition.

Oóbe. This kind of singing is always accompanied with the fango-fango, (or nose-flute). The subjects of the song are much the same as those last described, but the style of music is different, being more monotonous and grave. Tow álo, is never accompanied with instrumen