seem strange that the latter has a smaller share than the king, but then he has not a quarter the number of dependants to divide it among.

The materials of the Inachi being removed, the company form a regular cava party: some cava root is brought and prepared, and a large quantity of dressed victuals, perhaps a hundred and fifty baskets-full; a small portion of which is shared out to be eaten with the cava. While the infusion is preparing, a mataboole makes a speech to the people, stating, that as they have performed this important ceremony, the gods will protect them, and grant them long lives, provided they continue to pay due attention to religious ceremonies, and to pay respect to the chiefs. When the cava is finished, the circle separates, and the provisions are shared out to each chief according to his rank. The day concludes with wrestling, boxing, &c. after which night dances commence. When these are ended, the people retire home, perfectly assured of the protection of the gods.

At this ceremony, the quantity of provisions shared out is incredible; the people, therefore, look upon it as a very heavy tribute, though in fact the owners of the plantations (chiefs, matabooles, &c.) are at the expense of it; yet

as there is much more provided than what is eaten, it helps to increase the scarcity if the season should not be abundant: but it is so much the custom at Tonga to make liberal and profuse presents, that the people generally either feast or starve. Sometimes it happens that several great feasts are given nearly about the same time; as for instance, the occasion of the Inachi; the arrival of some chief from a distant island, after a long absence; the marriage or death of some great chief, as of Tooitonga himself, &c. These feasts threaten a scarcity; to prevent which, a taboo or prohibition is put upon several kinds of food, that they may not be eaten for a certain length of time, at the termination of which they perform the following ceremony, which takes off the taboo: a famine or war may also occasion a necessity for this taboo to be imposed.

FUCCALAHI, i. e. to make all at large or free again; or to take off a restriction. As the mode of performing this ceremony has already been described, (see Vol. I. p. 128.) and the particular objects of it mentioned, (p. 119, same vol.) nothing farther need now be said upon the subject, except that it is generally concluded with a cava party.

CAVA FUCCA EGI: this consists in a cava

party, where an inspired priest sits at the head: the circumstances of inspiration we have already related, (Vol. I. p. 105.) and the form of serving out the cava when a priest presides, (Vol. II. p. 205.) The phrase cava fucca egi means literally, a god-like caca. Laying a small piece of cava root before the grave of a chief or consecrated house, out of respect to a god, or to a deceased relation, is called toogoo caca, and will be mentioned in its proper order.

Tow-Tow is an offering of yams, cocoanuts, and other vegetable productions to A'lo A'lo (the god of weather) in particular, and to all the gods in general, for the purpose of ensuring a continuation of favourable weather, and consequent fertility. This ceremony is first performed at the time when the yams are approaching maturity, in the early part of November, and is repeated every ten days for seven or eight times. On the day appointed by the priest of A'lo A'lo, every plantation on the three parts of the island, viz. the hahagi, mooa, and hihifo* divisions, provide a certain quantity of yams, cocoa-nuts, sugar-canes, bananas, plantains, &c.; all which are brought

* Hahagi is the north end of any island; hihifo the south end the mova part of the island being the centre.

to the marly', tied upon sticks, so that each stick, when held horizontally, has about eight small yams hanging from it at equal distances; or a couple of bunches of plantains or bananas, &c. the sugar-canes are tied in bundles, three or four in each. These things being brought are disposed in three piles, one erected by the people of Hahagi, with their offerings, another by the people of Hihifo with theirs, and the third by those of the Moo'a. The piles are placed on one side of the marly upright, the ends of the sticks next the ground, diverging from each other, and the upper ends meeting together; whilst others are placed across them on the top. Wrestling and boxing matches now commence, which generally last about three hours, and being ended, a deputation of nine or ten men from the priest of A'lo A'lo, all dressed in mats, with green leaves round their necks, arrive with a female child, to represent the wife of Alo A'lo, and seat themselves before the three piles, forming a single line, with a large drum (kept there for the purpose) immediately in front of them. The deputation now offer up a prayer to A'lo A'lo and the other gods, petitioning them to continue their bounty, and make the land fruitful, &c. this being done, they give orders

in regard to sharing out the provisions; one pile being appropriated to A'lo Alo and the other gods, the other two being shared out to different principal chiefs, and sent home to their houses, the pile for the gods remaining still in its place. They then begin another short prayer to the same purpose, at the close of which they make a signal by beating upon the drum, when all that choose make a sudden dash at the pile appropriated to the gods, and each man secures as much as he can, to the great amusement of all the spectators, though many of the scramblers come off with wounded heads, and sometimes with fractured limbs, the broken sticks being thrown about in every direction. All the women now get out of the way, while the men stand up and commence a general pugilistic contest, one half of the island against the other half: this combat is termed tóë taców, and forms an essential part of this ceremony, but it is now and then practised at other ceremonies. At these general battles, the highest chiefs engage as well as the lowest tooas, and any one of the latter may, if he pleases, attack the king, and knock him down if he can, or even Tooitonga, without any reserve, and maul him unmercifully, without the least danger of giving offence. These