Early History of Tonga — Ahikualofa. 169 



four years, accumulating during that time a vast amount ot 

 information concerning their manners and habits. Mariner's 

 narrative was subsequently published in a book written by Dr. 

 John Martin, which is still regarded as the standard work on 

 the Tonga Islands. 



The Wesleyan missionaries established themselves here in the 

 year 1822, and were well received ; and some years subsequently 

 a French Roman Catholic mission was also successfully established. 

 At the time of our visit the entire population of the Tonga 

 Islands, including Tongatabu, Hapai, and Vavau, amounted to 

 25,000, while that of Tongatabu alone was 12,000. Of the latter 

 number, 8,000 belonged to the Wesleyan, and 4,000 to the 

 Catholic, Church. 



We anchored in the harbour of Tongatabu, off the town of 

 Nukualofa, on the 8th of November, at about midday. The 

 anchorage looked very bare indeed, there being only one vessel 

 beside ours, a merchant barque belonging to Godeffroy and Co., of 

 Hamburg, the well-known South Sea Island traders. 



The most striking objects on shore, as viewed from our position 

 in the anchorage, were the Wesleyan Church — an old dilapidated 

 wooden building crowning the summit of a round topped hill, 

 about sixty feet high, and said to be the highest point on the 

 island — and the king's palace, a very neat-looking villa-edifice 

 abounding in plate-glass windows, and surrounded by a low wall, 

 in which remained two breaches, intended for the reception of 

 massive iron gates, which, through a series of untoward circum- 

 cumstances, are not likely to be ever placed in position. It 

 appears that some time ago the king gave a caj'te blanche order 

 for two pairs of gates to be sent out from England, and when, 

 after a long series of delays, owing to mistakes in the shipping 

 arrangements, they at length reached Tongatabu, he was rather 

 unpleasantly surprised to find that the excessive charges for 

 freightage had run up the entire cost to the sum of ;i^8oo. They 

 were then found to be so large and massive as to be quite unsuited 



