A GLIMPSE OF TONGA N HISTORY. 289 



with the blood of the unfortunate Fijians, who had fighting 

 enough of their own without the gratuitous assistance of the 

 Tongans, these enterprising gentry took to quarrelling among 

 themselves on Fiji soil. For two years and a half they seem 

 to have had, according to their notions of manly employment, 

 'a thoroughly good time.' Whether the Fijians appreciated 

 their visitors and their ways is another question. At any 

 rate, the dislike of the Tongans manifested by the Fijians to 

 this day is very easily accounted for. These interesting fili- 

 busters returned to Tonga, but not in their own canoes, those 

 of the Fijians being, as I have said, much better. So, very 

 considerately, they made the Fijians a present of the clumsy 

 vessels in which they had emigrated, and, as exchange is no 

 robbery, took some new and fast-sailing Fiji-built canoes in 

 return. 



I am giving a very condensed account of what I know about 

 these remarkable people, but I cannot resist saying that, in 

 view of some of their proceedings, I rather regret having 

 mentioned the fact that they are sometimes dubbed the 

 Anglo-Saxons of the South Pacific. 



On his arrival, Hala Fatai found that a certain Togo Aim, 

 who had long since been King of Tonga, had made himself as 

 disagreeable as possible to his subjects. On one occasion, for 

 instance, he gave orders ('Divine right to rule wrong' was a 

 Tongan tradition, and the orders were instantly obeyed) that 

 twelve of his cooks, Avho were always in waiting at the public 

 ceremony of his kava-drinking, should have their left arms 

 amputated, to gratify his vanity by distinguishing them from 

 other men not occupying so enviable a rank. 



A chief of the name of Tubu Xeuha and his brother, called 

 Finoo (I am by no means certain of the correct spelling), 

 indignant at the eccentric surgical operations of their king, 



19 



