sumed, from what would have been the sentiment, had the accident happened at the Tonga islands.

At length the Favourite arrived at the island of Pau (one of the Fiji islands), and anchored off a place called Vooiha, famous for sandalwood, for which the captain soon began to treat with the natives, and, before the ship's departure, laid in several tons. In the mean time, Mr. Mariner went several times on shore, and had opportunities of receiving confirmations of what he had heard from Cow Mooala (see Chap. X.). The natives appeared to be a race considerably inferior to the Tonga people, partaking rather of the negro cast of countenance and form, at least in a small degree. As far as Mr. Mariner had opportunities of observing, their domestic comforts appeared much inferior to those of the people he had just left. They do not oil themselves, and to this he attributes the coarseness and harshness of skin, which is so different from that of the Tonga people. Their hair was somewhat more curly, and rather disposed to be woolly. Their whole external character, taking it generally, seemed fierce and warlike, rather than brave and noble. Their only dress was the mahi (see Vol. I, p. 340), and this naked

4.

ness of appearance serves at once to sink them in a degree of civilization below the natives of Tonga, and the Society islands. It is to be lamented that Mr. Mariner had not opportunities of seeing more of the natives of these islands than he did, with a view of drawing a juster comparison between them and the people whose manners he was so well acquainted with; but the apprehension that some accident might again detain him just on the eve of his return to civilized society, prevented him from going on shore so often, or so far, as he otherwise might have done. He was curious to discover what opinion they had of the natives of Tonga, and found, uniformly, that they considered the latter to be a very treacherous race; whilst these, às already rélated, accuse the Fiji people of possessing the same bad character; but, in all probability, there is not much difference between them in this respect. From all that he has seen, and all that he has heard, however, he is disposed to believe that the Fiji people fight with more fary and animosity than the Tonga people, but that the latter, where they have been seriously injured, harbour sentiments of revenge för à longer time. Mr. Mariner witnessed no instance of cannibalism among them, but they

made no scruple to acknowledge that such instances were very frequent, and Cow Mooala's account of the feast of Chichia, where two hundred human bodies were served up, was confirmed by the report of several of the natives of Pau, who were not, indeed, present, but who spoke of it with much indifference, as having heard it often from those who were present, and as being a thing so likely, that there was no reason to doubt it. He had it also confirmed by a native of Tonga, resident at Pau, who acted as his interpreter, and who was present at this horrible feast. The language of these people is very different in sound from the Tonga language, and is much more harsh to pronounce; it is replete with very strong percussions of the tongue, and with a frequent rattling of the letter r. It is rather a curious fact, if true, and it appears to be so from all that we can learn, that the language of the Sandwich islanders is more similar to the Tonga language than that of the Fiji islanders, though the latter people are not more than about one ninth part of the distance of the Sandwich islands from Tonga.

There were several Englishmen (or Americans) at the island of Pau, but none of them wished to come away in the Favourite, except

one; but as Captain Fisk had already more hands on board than he wanted, and as this man was not thrown accidentally (by shipwreck or otherwise), among these people, but had left his ship voluntarily, the captain did not choose to take him.. It is much to be regretted that most of these men were, from all report, but indifferent characters, and had left their respective ships from no good motive; they had frequent quarrels among themselves, in which two or three had got murdered. Mr. Mariner's information upon this point is from Fiji natives who visited Tonga, and also, about four months ago, from an Englishman* who had lived some two or three years at Pau, and whom he accidentally met near London, and who declared that he was heartily glad to come away, because he was afraid to live on the same island with his companions, lest he should be killed in some quarrel; and, if his report is to be credited, his companions were a very bad set, likely to do a great deal of mischief, not only to the natives by giving them

*་

*This man's name is Thomas Lee; he lived at that time at Hendon, and was frequently employed in bringing hay to London. He has since left that place, and is somewhere in Lown, but we have not been able to find him. He was very well acquainted with Cow Mooala, the Tonga mataboole.

but a mean and unjust opinion of civilized nations, but also to ships touching there, who might not be sufficiently on their guard.

The Favourite, having laid in her store of sandal-wood, after five or six days stay at Pau, weighed anchor and resumed her voyage, and, in about five weeks, arrived at Macao. At an early opportunity Mr. Mariner procured the following certificate from Captain Fisk, thinking it might be of service to him, as he was totally unknown to every body.

"This is to certify, that the bearer, William Mariner, belonged to the unfortunate ship the Port au Prince, that was cut off at the Hapai islands, and that he was taken from "thence by the brig Favourite.'

66

(Signed)

Macao Roads, Dec. 28, 1810.

A. FISK.

As he had but little money in his possession*, he resolved, the first opportunity, to enter on board one of the company's ships bound to

* He had about fifty or sixty dollars in his possession, part of which had been given to him by his adopted mother, Mafi Habe; the remainder he procured from a female native of Lefooga, by giving her a consideration for them in beads, &c.; these dollars belonged originally to the Port au Prince.