Voona, and certain other chiefs, their wish that they should go to the Hapai islands: this he did; but, at the same time, gave them liberty to stop till the funeral ceremony was concluded.. Voona received this intimation in a becoming manner, acknowledging the impropriety of his stay, if the people were any way jealous of his presence. The prince apologized for this step, urging the wish of his people as his sole motive; and expressed, with great warmth, his wish that he who had been 'so long his friend and companion would still remain his associate.

A

The following day, at a general assembly of the chiefs and matabooles, after the cava was prepared, and the two first cups handed out, the third, which, according to custom, is presented to the chief who presides, was next filled; and when an attendant, as usual, declared aloud that the cup was filled, all eyes were fixed on the prince, whilst the mataboole who sat next to him exclaimed, Give it to Finow!"-and it was accordingly handed to him, whilst he assumed an appearance of perfect unconcern at the name by which, for the first time, he was called*. And this was a matter of no small importance; for had he

* See note, p. 383.

appeared elated at this circumstance, he would have been thought a man of a weak mind, little calculated to be a supreme chief: whereas the character of such a personage should be, in their estimation, (and very rightly too,) that of superiority over the influence of petty passions, and such trifling emotions as are fit only for the vulgar tribe of mankind. As soon as all the cava was served out and drunk, Finow addressed the company to the following purport.

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*

"Listen to me, chiefs and warriors!If any among you are discontented with the “present state of affairs*,-now is the time to go to Hapai; for no man shall remain at “Vavaoo with a mind discontented and wandering to other places. I have seen with "sorrow the wide destruction occasioned by "the unceasing war carried on by the chief now lying in the marly; and what is the "result?-the land is depopulated! it is overgrown with weeds, and there is nobody to "cultivate it: the principal chiefs and warriors

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are fallen, and we must be contented with the "society of the lower class. What madness! “is not life already too short? Would not a

* Or, as he expressed it in the Tonga language, “ with the way in which we sit here."

"man's time be better employed in increasing "his pleasures and happiness? What folly "then to seek for war to shorten that which is "already too short! Who is there among us "who can say, "I wish to die-I am weary of "life?' Have we not then been acting like those "of no understanding? Have we not been madly

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seizing the very thing which deprives us of "what we really want? Not that we ought to ba"nish all thoughts of fighting! If any power "approach us with the front of battle, and

attempt to invade our rights, our fury and "bravery shall be excited more, in proportion "as we have more possessions to defend. Let "us therefore confine ourselves, as much as possible, to the cultivation of our own land; "for as it is more than sufficient to maintain

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us, why seek for any other? But perhaps I

am not speaking to you wisely! the old ma"tabooles are present; if I am wrong, let "them say so. I am but young, and, on that "account, should be unfit to govern, if my "mind, like that of the deceased chief, sought "not the advice of others: for your loyalty "and fidelity towards him, however, I return

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you my sincere thanks. Finow Fiji, who "is present, knows that I consult both him "and the matabooles as to matters of govern

"ment: you cannot therefore say, why do we "listen to the prattle of a boy? Recollect, I speak the sentiments of Toe Oomoo, Ooloo

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valoo, Afoo, Alo, Fotoo, and all the elders "of Vavaoo. But I again observe, that if any among you have possessions at Hapai, or are "not content with your present situation, now "is the only opportunity to depart, for hence"forth there shall be no intercourse whatever "either with Hapai or Tonga: choose then now your places of abode! There are Fiji, Hamoa, Tonga*, Hapai, Fotoona, and Lo"tooma, for none shall remain at Hafoolo How but those whose minds agree in keeping a lasting peace-not that I wish to

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suppress the courage of any warlike spirit, "Behold! the islands of Tonga and Fiji “are constantly at war; let him there display "his courage. Arise! go to your respective "habitations; and recollect, that to-morrow "the canoes depart for Hapait."

Finow, having finished his speech, got up and went to his house, accompanied by the * Meaning the island of Tonga, properly so called.

+ It is to be observed, that no phrase is used in this translation of Finow's speech but what is consistent with his own language: all the figures are the same; and as to the word behold, it is truly a proper translation of their phrase vacky' angi, look towards! and is most frequently used as an interjection, like our word behold!

sons of his chiefs and matabooles, who, together with his warriors, formed his retinue. After a repast, provided beforehand*, he again made an address, but in a more familiar and conversational way, on the advantages of cultivating land for one's own food, and eating the produce of one's own labour; and to strengthen his argument, he observed, that, hitherto in Tonga†, it had been the custom for those who formed the retinue of chiefs to subsist on the provision which those chiefs thought proper to share out to them from their own store and during the great famine (which happened many years before, while he was yet but a boy), he had remarked that more of these men (chiefs' dependants), had died than of the lower orders, who tilled the ground for their own support, as well as that of their chiefs, because they always found means to reserve food for themselves, however great might be the tax; while those who depended on the bounty of their chiefs got but a very scanty allowance. He then went on, "You do not "know how much pleasure such men feel

* They often have cava rings where little is eaten, which was the case with that where he made the above speech; those who are fond of cava seldom eat much with it, conceiving that food destroys the genuine taste of it.

By Tonga, he here means the Friendly Islands at large.