THE LIVING RACES OF MANKIND 



arm were broken. Boxing and wrestling matches took place on these occasions, but with 

 the greatest propriety and good-will. After each battle all those who had touched a chief 

 came to be formally pardoned for the offence they had committed in touching his sacred 

 person. He then, very good-naturedly, received them one by one, and pardoned them, 

 even if his nose had been flattened in the game. It must 'have been strange to those 

 who punched him to reflect that he had on all other occasions absolute command of their 

 own lives. 



After a time the women took part in the game, laying aside their usual gentleness, for 

 which they are quite remarkable. Captain Cook, when he visited Tonga, saw girls step into 

 the ring and box with great spirit. Sometimes their elders found it necessary to go in 

 and part the combatants; but as a rule those who were beaten yielded gracefully. On one 

 famous occasion about 1,500 women engaged on each side, and went on fighting until the 

 king ordered them to cease, when it was discovered that some had sprained ankles, others 



broken limbs. 



When a person of 

 some importance dies, 

 his or her body is washed 

 and oiled; women keep 

 watch over it. After- 

 wards the relations carry 

 the corpse to the house 

 for burial, and lay it 

 there in its clothes, often 

 in a little chest or boat, 

 depositing at the same 

 time the deceased's most 

 valued possessions. Then 

 they all go to the shore, 

 singing loudly as they 

 walk along, make baskets 

 out of palm-leaves, and 

 pour into them white 

 sand, wherewith to fill 

 the upper part of the 

 grave. The male 

 mourners remain for 

 twenty days in lightly 

 built huts near the house 

 of mourning, and the 

 women within. On the 

 twentieth day they go 

 back to the shore, and 

 collect basketf uls of black 

 and white pebbles, to 

 spread upon the floor of 

 the house. 



The Tongans, when 

 their king, Finnow, died, 

 made great lamentation. 

 The chiefs and others 

 who belonged to his 

 A SAMOAN GIRL. household inflicted very 



Photo by Thus. An<lit" 



