MAAFU. 243 



ploit took place at Lomolomo. Two Fijian chiefs fight- 

 ing against each other, Maafu's assistance was solicited, 

 and readily given to the weaker party, to which a Ton- 

 guese teacher of Christianity was attached. After the 

 stronger party had been defeated by the combined 

 efforts of its Fijian and Tonguese opponents, the native 

 conquerors found themselves so heavily indebted to 

 their foreign ally, and so much in his power, that they 

 became easy victims to his intrigues to usurp their au- 

 thority altogether. Maafu never espoused a cause on 

 its own merits. The principle upon which, in this in- 

 stance, and in almost every other, he seems to have 

 acted, was to assist the weaker party against the 

 stronger, and after its defeat turn round upon his 

 allies, with whose weaknesses he had become perfectly 

 acquainted during their familiar intercourse.* The 

 quarrel at Lomolomo made him master of the whole 

 grouplet of Vanua Balavu, and having thus obtained a 

 solid footing, his rise was rapid. Elated with success, 

 he used to challenge any chiefs to try their courage and 

 skill in a canoe of equal size, and with an equal number 

 of men to his own ; but no one, not even Ratu Mara, 

 justly looked upon as the most able sailor and comman- 

 der of Fiji, could be induced to accept the challenge. 

 The second opportunity that presented itself to Maafu 

 for extending his power was offered by interfering at 

 Matuka. There again two chiefs were quarrelling, and 

 the party to which the Tonguese teacher belonged, was 



* Even in Tonga his conduct was identically the same. Compare 

 Farmer's detailed account of the rebellion in which he took part. ' Tonga 

 and the Friendly Islands,' p. 398. 



R 2 



