beat him about the head and pierce him wherever they could, until, as they described it to the Tongan filibuster, 'after much hard work he was quite dead.' Their toil over, they resolved at once to see if he was good for a meal; and selecting the parts they thought the tenderest, they baked them, and doubtless had a fine dinner off a wandering crocodile. According to a New Orleans journal, a fowl stuffed with dynamite is placed near an alligator's resort, and then the editor says sadly, 'When that alligator indulges in that poultry, he knows his place no more.' According to the Tongan tradition, the Fijian's simple noose was too much for the 'big lizard' from

the East Indies.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

TONGAN TRADITIONS.

As in Fiji, rank is very strictly observed in Tonga. In the old days there existed two chiefs in that group who claimed a sort of divine power; these were the Tuitonga and Veachi, the first of course meaning chief of Tonga, which island has always been considered the most important and noble of all the Tongan Group. In Tonga all the greatest chiefs resided, and were buried near the tombs of their ancestors, and this is how it is that the appellation tabu was given it-the latter word meaning sacred or holy.

Tuitonga and Veachi were both supposed to be descended from chief gods, who had formerly visited Tonga. The respect formerly shown to Tuitonga, and his high rank in society, were entirely of a religious nature, and in secular matters the king was supreme. Once a year (about October), the first-fruits

were offered to Tuitonga. There were peculiarities in the ceremonies of his marriage and burial. Moreover, Tuitonga was not circumcised as the other men were; nor did he ever tattoo. Again, he was spoken of differently, and words were exclusively reserved for him, and only with respect to him.

After the nobles came the matabooles, who seem to have been the business agents of the aristocracy. Certain professions were hereditary, and to some extent this, I believe, continues to the present day. These are canoe builders, cutters of whale's teeth ornaments, and superintendents of funeral rites. Next in rank to these came the matabooles, or the class immediately below that very important body of men.

Old persons of both sexes have from time immemorial been reverenced in Tonga, and the first moral and religious duty impressed on a Tongan was to reverence the gods, chiefs, and aged persons. Women have always been treated in Tonga with the greatest respect, and rank descends through them.

The old religion of the Tongans was really a complicated piece of heathenism. It was based on the idea of gods who had existed from all eternity; but there were other degrees of gods of inferior rank, these being mainly recruited from deceased chiefs and matabooles. The nobles and matabooles were allowed to possess souls, but not the tooas, or common people, for whom there was no future after death. They maintained that the human soul during life is not a distinct essence from the body, but only the more ethereal part of it, which exists in Bolotoo (or paradise) in the form and likeness of the body the moment after death. Here is a curious approach to the Christian doctrine of the resurrection of the body. The Tongans believe firmly in supernatural appearances of the gods, and that they occasionally use the bodies of animals as their earthly covering; but at other times they would appear to mortals in all theirglory.

Human merit or virtue consisted chiefly in paying respect to gods, nobles, and the aged, in defending one's hereditary rights, in honour, justice, patriotism, friendship, meekness, modesty, fidelity of married women, parental and filial love, observance of all religious ceremonies, and forbearance.

All rewards for virtue and punishment for vice are bestowed on men in this world only, Bolotoo being considered a sort of place to which rank entitled a man, more than a paradise of delights as a reward for a good life. Killing servants, or one of the lower classes who had given provocation, and theft of property not consecrated, were considered matters of indifference.

Bolotoo was supposed to be an island lying to the northwest. It was said to be much larger than all their own islands put together, was well stocked with all kinds of useful and ornamental plants, and the whole atmosphere was redolent with the scent of flowers. Birds of gorgeous plumage carolled ceaselessly in Bolotoo, and of every variety of food there was an inexhaustible supply; for as soon as a hog was killed, another one immediately took his place. The Tongans used to tell a story of one of their canoes, which was driven by stress of weather to Bolotoo. The men were ignorant of the place they had reached, and seeing the country abound in all sorts of fruits, the crew landed, and proceeded to pluck some breadfruit; but, to their unspeakable astonishment, they could no more lay hold of it than if it were a shadow. They walked through the trunks of the trees and passed through the substance of the houses without feeling any resistance. They at length saw some of the gods, who recommended them to go away immediately, as they had no proper food for them, and promised them a fair wind and a speedy passage. They accordingly put directly to sea, and in two days' sailing with a tremendous

velocity they arrived at Samoa. Here they stayed for two or three days, and soon afterwards reached Tonga, where in course of a short time they all died, not as a punishment, but as a natural consequence, the air of Bolotoo being the certain cause of a speedy death.

The Tongan gods were as follows: Tali-Toobo (literally, Wait there, Toobo'). This personage was a god of war. Tuifua Bolotoo, or chief of all Bolotoo, and supreme god of that place. Alo Alo (literally, 'to fan'), who took charge of wind, weather, rain and harvests. Tangaloa, god of artificers and arts; and a few others. The Tongan account of the creation is very much akin to that given by the Maori of New Zealand.

One day, many years ago, Tangaloa, intent on fishing, let down his hook and line from the sky into the wide expanse of ocean that then only existed. Suddenly he felt a great resistance, and believing that he had caught a gigantic fish, he exerted his utmost strength, and presently there appeared above the surface several points of rock, which increased in number and extent the more he drew in his line. The rocky bottom of the ocean in which it was now evident his hook had caught was thus fast advancing to the surface, and would have made one vast continent, when unfortunately the line broke, and the islands of Tonga remained to show the imperfection of Tongaloa's earth-fishing. The rock in which the hook was fixed was already above the surface, and used to be shown to the curious in one of the islands. The hook was in the possession of the Tuitonga family till about 100 years ago, when it was accidentally burnt with the house in which it was kept. Tongaloa soon made his islands something like Bolotoo, but of course very inferior, the trees, flowers, and plants being subject to decay and death. Being willing that Tonga should also be

inhabited by intelligent beings, he commanded his two sons thus (I give, as near as possible, a literal translation of the actual words of the Tongan tradition, as told by Mr. Mariner seventy-four years ago):

""Go and take with you your wives, and dwell in the world at Tonga. Divide the land into two portions, and dwell separately from each other."

They departed accordingly. The name of the eldest was Toobo, and the name of the youngest was Vaca-acowooli, who was an exceedingly wise young man, for it was he who first formed axes, and invented beads, and cloth, and lookingglasses. The young man named Toobo acted very differently, being very indolent, sauntering about, and sleeping, and envying very much the works of his brother. Tired at length with begging for his goods, he bethought himself to kill him, but concealed his wicked intention. He accordingly met his brother walking, and beat him till he was dead. At that time their father came from Bolootoo, with exceeding great anger, and asked him :

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Why have you killed your brother? Could you not work like him? O thou wicked one! Begone! go with my commands to the family of Vaca-acowooli, and tell them to come hither."

'Being accordingly come, Tongaloa straightway ordered them thus:

"Put your canoes to sea, and sail to the east, to the great land which is there, and take up your abode there. Be your skins white, like your minds, for your minds are pure; you shall be wise, making axes, and all riches whatsoever, and shall have large canoes. I will go myself, and command the wind to blow from your land to Tonga, but they (the Tonga people) shall not be able to go to you with their bad canoes."