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least appearance of any bad effect. The women are very tender, kind mothers, and the children are taken exceeding good care of: for even in case of a divorce, the children of any age, (requiring parental care), go with the mother, it being considered her province to superintend their welfare till they grow up; and there is never any dispute upon this subject. Both sexes appear contented and happy in their relations. to each other. As to domestic quarrels, they are seldom known; but this must be said to happen rather from the absolute power which every man holds in his own family: for even if his wife be of superior rank, he is nevertheless of the highest authority in all domestic matters, and no woman entertains the least idea of rebelling against that authority; and if she should, even her own relations would not take her part, unless the conduct of her husband were undoubtedly cruel. That the men are also capable of much paternal affection, Mr. Mariner has witnessed many proofs, some of which have been related; and we have already mentioned that filial piety is a most important duty, and ap. pears to be universally felt.

Upon these grounds we would venture to say, that the natives of these islands are rather to be considered a chaste than a libertine people'

and that, even compared with the most civilized nations, their character in this respect is to be rated at no mean height; and if a free intercourse could exist with European society, it is a matter of great doubt (whatever might be the change in their sentiments), if their habits or dispositions in this respect would be much improved by copying the examples of their instructors. If, on the other hand, we compare them to the natives of the Society islands, and the Sandwich islands, we should add insult to injustice.

We have thus endeavoured to give a just and impartial view of these people, as far as regards their notions and practices of the most important points of morality, trusting that the account will be found useful and interesting. A great deal more might, no doubt, have been said; but the farther we enter into minutiæ upon such a subject, the more we are likely to form an erroneous opinion; whilst the general outlines may be given without so much danger of being deceived; and what may be thought imperfect in this sketch, the intelligent reader will be able to supply according to his own judgment, by his attentive perusal of other parts of the work. If, for instance, it be objected that we have not taken into consideration the question of their being anthropophagi,

we reply, that all the instances that can any way go to substantiate their character in this respect, and which happened during Mr. Mariner's stay there, have been faithfully mentioned, with the motives and occasions of them: from which, we think it is easy to draw the conclusion, that they by no means deserve this opprobrious name: for, although a few young ferocious warriors chose to imitate what they considered a mark of courageous fierceness in a neighbouring nation, it was held in disgust by every body else.

CHAP. XX.

Preliminary observations-Cava root: ceremony of preparing the infusion, and order of serving it out, either as a chief, a priest, or a god may preside-The ceremony of Ina'chi; of Fuccala'hi; of Cava fucca egi; of Tow-tow; of Nawgia; of Tootooni'ma; of Boo'too and its minor ceremonies, viz. Fa'la, Too'too, Lafa, Tooʻgi, Fo'a Oo'loo; with a quotation from Leviticus; of Langi, and the very singular mode of shewing respect to the remains of Tooitonga ;-of Taboo and the ceremonies of moe"-mo'ë and fota; of Toogoo cava; of Lo'too-Omens-Charms.

As attention to religious ceremonies forms an important feature in the character of the Tonga people, and as they consider any neglect in this respect would amount to a crime, that the gods would punish with the most severe temporal inflictions, it becomes necessary to give a particular account of them. The punishments which they consider themselves liable to for disrespect to the gods and neglect of religious rites, are chiefly conspiracies, wars, famine, and epidemic diseases, as public cala

mities; and sickness and premature death, as punishments for the offences of individuals: and these evils, whenever they happen, are sup posed to proceed immediately from the gods, as visitations for their crimes.

There is no public religious rite whatsoever, and scarcely any in private, but of which the ceremony of drinking cava forms an important, or at least a usual part; for which reason, although cava is taken on other occasions several times daily, we shall endeavour to give a full description of its preparation and form of taking, before we proceed to those ceremonies which are more strictly religious.

The root which they term cáva, and by which name the plant producing it is also called, belongs to a species of the pepper plant: it is known by the same name at the Fiji islands; but at the Navigator's islands, (which the Tonga people also visit), at the Society islands, and the Sandwich islands, it is universally called ava. At all these places it is used for the same or similar purposes.

The state in which it is taken is that of infusion it is drunk every day by chiefs, matabooles, and others, as a luxury the form of preparing and serving it out is the same, whether at a large party or a small one: the great

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