45S cook's voyagk to july, 



government. Mareewagee, old Tooboo, and Fee- 

 nou, acted each like petty sovereigns, and frequently 

 thwarted the measures of the king ; of which he 

 often complained. Neither was his court more 

 splendid than those of the two first, who are the 

 most powerful chiefs in the islands ; and next to 

 them, Feenou, Mareewagee's son, seemed to stand 

 highest in authority. But, however independent on 

 the despotic power of the king the great men 

 may be, we saw instances enough to prove, that 

 the lower order of people have no property, nor 

 safety for their persons, but at the will of the chiefs 

 to whom they respectively belong. 



Tongataboo is divided into many districts ; of 

 above thirty of which we learned the names. Each 

 of these has its particular chief, who decides dif- 

 ferences, and distributes justice within his own 

 district. But we could not form any satisfactory 

 judgment about the extent of their power in general, 

 or their mode of proportioning punishments to 

 crimes. Most of these chiefs have possessions in 

 other islands, from whence they draw supplies. 

 At least, we know this is so with respect to the 

 king, who, at certain established times, receives the 

 product of his distant domains at Tongataboo ; 

 which is not only the principal place of his re- 

 sidence, but seemingly of all the people of con- 

 sequence amongst these isles. Its inhabitants, in 

 common conversation, call it the Land of Chiefs; 

 while the subordinate isles are distinguished by the 

 appellation of Lands of Servants. 



These chiefs are, by the people, styled not only 

 lords of the earth, but of the sun and sky ; and the 

 king's family assume the name of Futtafaihe, from 

 the god so called, who is probably their tutelary 

 patron, and perhaps their common ancestor. The 

 sovereign's peculiar earthly title is, however, simply 

 Tooee Tonga. 



