30 ETHNOGRAPHY. 



much in the relation of Athens and Sparta in ancient Greece. The 

 adherents of both are scattered over every part of the group. The 

 inhabitants of one town will belong to the Aana party, and those of 

 the next adjoining to that of Manono. The superiority of one party to 

 the other depends upon its superior strength ; and this is determined, 

 not at the polls, but on the field of battle. The last great " struggle 

 of parties" took place in 1830. Tamafainga, the chief who has 

 already been mentioned as pretending to the attributes of a god, be- 

 longed to Manono, or, at least, to that party. Relying upon his sacred 

 character, he was guilty of many acts of oppression and brutality 

 towards the people of Aana, who, at last, outraged beyond endurance, 

 rose upon him and put him to death. A general war ensued between 

 the adherents of Aana and Manono, which, after continuing, with 

 various fortune, for several months, resulted in the overthrow of the 

 former; since which time they have been considered the vaivai, 

 or weak party. The use which the victors made of their newly 

 acquired power was appalling. The whole district of Aana, more 

 than thirty miles in length, was ravaged and depopulated. Large 

 fires were kindled into which the prisoners were thrown women and 

 children as well as warriors and burned to death. The conquered 

 district remained without an inhabitant till 1836, at which time the 

 other party, having become converts to Christianity, removed the in- 

 terdict, and allowed the fugitives to re-occupy their lands. It then 

 became apparent that the form of government under which they live 

 is not without its advantages. Had the people of Aana been an inde- 

 pendent tribe, they would probably have been exterminated, as has fre- 

 quently been the case in New Zealand or, at the very least, reduced 

 to slavery. But from the nature of their political relations, it hap- 

 pened that nearly every person of note among the conquered party 

 had some kinsman or friend in the ranks of the maid ; with these they 

 took refuge after their defeat, and, except those who were captured 

 and destroyed in the first flush of victory, very few were put to death. 

 When we visited these islands, only three years after the return of the 

 expelled party to their homes, Aana was the most populous district in 

 the group, and few traces remained of their defeat, except their politi- 

 cal inferiority. 



Another striking advantage of their system of polity is found in the 

 freedom from taxation, and the general mildness of the government. 

 The chiefs of the opposition dare not oppress their subjects, for fear 

 of an appeal to the maid ; while those of the latter are withheld from 



