TONGAN TRADITIONS. 303 



Human merit or virtue consisted chiefly in paying respect to 

 gods, nobles, and the aged, in defending one's hereditary rights, 

 in honour, justice, patriotism, friendship, meekness, modesty, 

 fidelity of married women, parental and filial love, observance 

 of all religious ceremonies, and forbearance. 



All rewards for virtue and punishment for vice are bestowed 

 on men in this world only, Bolotoo being considered a sort of 

 place to which rank entitled a man, more than a paradise of 

 delights as a reward for a good life. Killing servants, or one 

 of the lower classes who had given provocation, and theft of 

 property not consecrated, were considered matters of indif- 

 ference. 



Bolotoo was supposed to be an island lying to the north- 

 west. It was said to be much larger than all their own islands 

 put together, was well stocked with all kinds of useful and 

 ornamental plants, and the whole atmosphere was redolent with 

 the scent of flowers. Birds of gorgeous plumage carolled cease- 

 lessly in Bolotoo, and of every variety of food there was an 

 inexhaustible supply ; for as soon as a hog was killed, another 

 one immediately took his place. The Tongans used to tell a 

 story of one of their canoes, which was driven by stress of 

 weather to Bolotoo. The men were ignorant of the place they 

 had reached, and seeing the country abound in all sorts of 

 fruits, the crew landed, and proceeded to pluck some bread- 

 fruit ; but, to their unspeakable astonishment, they could no 

 more lay hold of it than if it were a shadow. They walked 

 through the trunks of the trees and passed through the sub- 

 stance of the houses without feeling any resistance. They at 

 length saw some of the gods, who recommended them to go away 

 immediately, as they had no proper food for them, and promised 

 them a fair wind and a speedy passage. They accordingly 

 put directly to sea, and in two days' sailing with a tremendous 



