it away, reserving it for Toobó Malohi, to drink after the cava party should be dissolved. The company, having finished their cava, dispersed, and Toobé Malohi retired to take his. This chief and his followers remained at Vavaoo about a fortnight before they sailed to the Hapai Islands; during which time he entertained Finow with an account of different transactions at Tonga, relating what conspiracies had been devised, what battles had been fought, what brave chiefs and warriors had fallen. Every time he mentioned the death of a hero, Finow struck his breast with his fist, exclaiming, "What a warrior has fallen in a useor something to that purpose.

less war!

Before Toobó Malohi and his chiefs took their departure, Finow repeated his orders to Toobó Toa to keep a watchful eye upon them, and to give him the earliest information, if he discovered any symptoms of conspiracy; for he said he expected something of the kind, as they were all choice warriors, and had been well experienced at the Fiji Islands.

CHAPTER XII,

SHORTLY after Toobo Malóhi and his followers had departed for the Hapai Islands, Finow's younger daughter, named Saw-aw mái Lalángi (which, in the Hamoa language, means descended from the sky), about six or seven years of age, fell sick; on which occasion she was removed from her father's house to another inside a fencing, consecrated to Tali-y-Toobo, the patron god of the Hows. Almost every morning a hog was killed, dressed, and presented before the house, as an offering to the god, that he might spare her life for the sake of Finow. On these occasions, one or other of the matabooles, and sometimes two or three in succession, made an address to the invoked divinity (for he had no priest), to the following purpose: "Here thou seest assembled Finow and his chiefs, and the principal matabooles of thy favoured land," (the Tonga Islands, taken collectively)," thou seest them humbled before thee. We pray thee not to be merciless, but spare the life of the woman* for the sake of her father, who has always been attentive to every religious

On such occasions they call the person for whom they intercede, however young, either a man, or woman, according to the sex, although they have appropriate words to express boy, girl, and child.

ceremony; † but if thy anger is justly excited by some crime or misdemeanour committed by any other of us who are here assembled, we entreat thee to inflict on the guilty one the punishment which he merits, and not to let go thy vengeance on one who was born but as yesterday. For our own parts, why do we wish to live but for the sake of Finow? but if his family is afflicted, we are all afflicted, innocent as well as guilty. How canst thou be merciless! dost thou not see here Finów? and is not A'foo here, who descended from ancient Tonga chiefs now in Bolótoo?-and is not Fotoo here, and did he not descend from Moomooe, formerly How of Tonga?-and is not A'lo here, and Niucápoo, and Toobó?-Then why art thou merciless ?" (spoken in rather an impatient and peremptory tone) "have regard for Finow, and save the life of his daughter.

Every morning, as before stated, for about a fortnight, a hog was killed and offered to the god, and addresses were made similar to the above, and repeated five, six, or seven times a day, but the god seemed not to harken to their petition, and the child daily became worse. In about fourteen or sixteen days, finding their prayers unavailing, they took her to another fencing in the neighbourhood, consecrated to Toói foóa Bolótoo. Here the same ceremonies were practised for about a week, with as little good result. Finow, finding his daughter getting worse instead of better, ordered his large canoes to be launched, and his wives, chiefs, matabooles, in short his whole house

† Finow was noted for his want of religion. The above words, therefore, were used as mere form, and because no one dared to say otherwise.

hold, to go on board. His sick daughter was conveyed into the canoe which he and his wives occupied, Mr Mariner also being on board. They set sail for the island of Hoonga, which belonged to a priest called Toobó Téa, who was accustomed to be inspired by Finow's tutelar god, Toobó Totái. On this island several enclosures or fencings are consecrated to this god. To one of which his daughter was carried, and the same offering and same kind of address was frequently made; but in this case, not before the consecrated house where the sick child lay, but wherever the priest happened to be, which was generally at his own house or at Finow's. It must here be

Those who have

remarked, that those gods who have priests are invoked in the person of the inspired priest, wherever he may happen to be. no priest are invoked at the consecrated house by a mataboole, as was the case in the laté instance with Tali-y-Toobó, who has no priest.

*

Toobó Totai was thus invoked every day, in the person of his priest, during a fortnight or three weeks. Seated at the head of the cava ring, he seemed much affected, and generally shed a profusion of tears. To their earnest entreaties he scarcely ever made any answer, and when he did, it was, for the most part, to the following effect; "Why do you weary yourselves with entreating me? (speaking as if he were the god) "if the power to restore the woman rested solely with me, I would do it be assured it is all done by the will of the gods of Bolotoo." Every day he visited the sick girl, occasionally sat down by her, took her hand, and shed tears. During this time the matabooles

* See the form of invocation, p. 99.

frequently repaired to the house of the priest, and laying cava before him, consulted him privately. On one of these occasions, Finow not being present, he told them that if they knew why the child was sick they would not come thus to invoke him. He then declared, in general terms, that it was for the common good. Finow, being informed of this, addressed the priest at the consultation on the following morning, asking him (or rather the god within him) what he meant by the general good? "If my spirits are oppressed, are not those of all my subjects so likewise ? but if the gods have any resentment against us, let the whole weight of vengeance fall on my head: I fear not their vengeance, -but spare my child; and I earnestly entreat you, Toobo Totái, to exert all your influence with the other gods, that I alone may suffer all the punishment they desire to inflict. To this the god returned no answer, and the priest retiring among the people, the company separated.

As soon as Finow arrived at his house, his spirits much agitated, and his pride, in all probability, much hurt, he laid down on his mat, and felt himself indisposed. His illness hourly increased; and feeling, as he said, a secret presentiment of approaching death, his female attendants ran out and informed his chiefs and matabooles, who in consequence immediately repaired to his house, and found him unable to speak; for as soon as he saw them, he endeavoured in vain to give utterance to his ideas, and seemed choked by the vehemence of his inward emotions. At length a flood of tears coming to his relief, he acknowledged the justice of the gods, but lamented great