A GLIMPSE OF TONGAN H1STOR Y. 293 



Manner to Tonga. It was next laid in a large cedar chest, 

 and over the body were strewn wreaths of bright flowers?. 

 The corpse lay in state for twenty days, after which it was 

 deposited inside a house at the top of the grave, where the 

 grieving father could always gaze at it. Combats of men and 

 women, with the usual extravagant banquets of kava-drinking, 

 wound up the first attempt at funeral reform in Tonga, 

 for though the Avives were rarely strangled at great persons' 

 deaths, as in Fiji, there was as a rule any quantity of demon- 

 strative howling; and mutilations of arms, fingers, and toes 

 were very common. 



Finoo being taken ill himself shortly after the funeral, one 

 of his illegitimate children was strangled as a sacrifice to the 

 gods ; but all in vain. He folloAved his little daughter after 

 the lapse of a few days. 



The ceremonies at his obsequies were of the usual South 

 Pacific character. The chiefs paraded up and down with 

 a wild and agitated step, spinning and whirling the club 

 about, striking themselves with the edge of it two or three 

 times violently upon the top and back of the head (the 

 natives of Coral Lands know very well how to avoid the chief 

 arteries), and then suddenly stopping, looking steadfastly at 

 the instrument spattered with blood, and exclaiming : 



' Alas, my club ! who could have supposed that you would 

 have done this kind office for me, and enabled me thus to 

 evince a testimony of my respect for Finoo ^ Never, no, never, 

 can you tear open the brains of his enemies ! Alas ! what a 

 great and mighty warrior has fallen ! Finoo ! cease to 

 suspect my loyalty ! be convinced of my fidelity ! But what 

 absurdity am I talking 1 If I had appeared treacherous in 

 your sight, I should have met the fate of those numerous 

 warriors who have fallen victims to your just revenge, but do 



