180 



Mariner's " Tonga Islands." 

 King Josiah. 



TONGATABOO. 



Interview with King George. 

 Native fono. 



unlike a distant gong, and it is said may be heard 

 from seven to ten miles. 



From the top of this hill (sixty feet high, and 

 the most elevated point on the island) there is an 

 extensive view, over the island on one hand, and 

 on the other over the encircling reefs and the deep 

 blue sea. I felt familiar with the scenes around 

 me, from the description I had often read in 

 Mariner's Tonga Islands, and feel great pleasure 

 in confirming the admirable and accurate descrip- 

 tion there given. The names we heard were fa- 

 miliar to us, and we found, through the natives 

 and missionaries, that many of the descendants of 

 the persons of whom he speaks were present. 



I was within the fortification of Nukualofa, the 

 scene of many of the exploits which Mariner re- 

 lates. I was now surrounded by large numbers of 

 warriors, all grotesquely dressed and ready for the 

 fight, with clubs, spears, and muskets. In addi- 

 tion to the usual tapa around their waist, they had 

 yellow and straw-coloured ribands, made of the 

 pandanus-leaves, tied around their arms above the 

 elbows, on their legs above and below the knees, 

 and on their bodies: some had them tied and 

 gathered up in knots; others wore them as scarfs 

 some on the right shoulder, some on the left, and 

 others on both shoulders. Some of these sashes 

 were beautifully white, about three inches wide, 

 and quite pliable. Many of them had fanciful 

 head-dresses, some with natural and others with 

 artificial flowers over their turbans (called sala) ; 

 and nearly all had their faces painted in the most 

 grotesque manner, with red, yellow, white, and 

 black stripes, crossing the face in all directions. 

 Some were seen with a jet black face and vermilion 

 nose; others with half the face painted white. 

 When a body of some eight hundred of these dark- 

 looking, well-formed warriors, all eager for the 

 fight, and going to and fro to join their several 

 companies, is seen, it is hardly possible to describe 

 the effect. The scene was novel in the extreme, 

 and entirely unexpected, for I considered that we 

 were on a mission of peace. A few minutes' con- 

 versation with Mr. Tucker accounted for it all. 

 The evening before, the " Devil's" party, it ap- 

 peared, had attacked their yam-grounds; some of 

 the natives were wounded on both sides; and 

 great fear had been entertained that they would 

 have followed up their attack even to the town of 

 Nukualofa; most of the warriors had, therefore, 

 been under arms the whole night. 



We were led through all this confusion to the 

 small hut of Tubou or King Josiah : here we were 

 presented to his majesty, with whom I shook 

 hands. He was sitting on a mat winding a ball of 

 sennit, which he had been making, and at which 

 occupation he continued for the mo'st part of the 

 time. He has the appearartce of being about sixty 

 years old; his figure is tall, though much bent 

 with age; he has a fine dignified countenance, but 

 is represented as a very imbecile old man, fit for 

 any thing but to rule; as domestic and affectionate 

 in his family, caring little about the affairs of 

 government, provided he can have his children 

 and grandchildren around him to play with, in 

 which amusement he passes the most of his time. 

 Seats were provided for us from the missionaries' 

 houses, and were placed in the hut, whose sides 

 being open, gave us a full view of all that was 

 passing without. King Josiah, with his nearest 



relatives and the highest chiefs, about ten in num- 

 ber, occupied the hut, together with the missiona- 

 ries and ourselves. The warriors were grouped 

 about in little squads, in their various grotesque 

 accoutrements. 



When all was apparently ready, we waited some 

 few minutes for King George. When he made 

 his appearance, I could not but admire him : he is 

 upwards of six feet in height, extremely well pro- 

 portioned, and athletic; his limbs are rounded and 

 full ; his features regular and manly, with a fine 

 open countenance and sensible face ; all which 

 were seen to the greatest advantage. The only 

 covering he wore was a large white tapa or gnato, 

 girded in loose folds around his waist, and hanging 

 to the ground, leaving his arms and chest quite 

 bare. He at once attracted all eyes ; for, on 

 approaching, every movement showed he was in 

 the habit of commanding those about him. With 

 unassuming dignity, he quietly took his seat without 

 the hut, and as if rather prepared to be a listener 

 than one who was to meet us in council. This 

 was afterwards explained to me by Mr. Tucker, 

 who stated that King George is not yet considered 

 a native chief of Tonga, and, notwithstanding his 

 actual power here and at Vavao, is obliged to take 

 his seat among the common people. On observing 

 his situation, and knowing him to be the ruling 

 chief de facto, I immediately requested that he 

 might be admitted to the hut ; and he was accord- 

 ingly requested to enter, which he did, and seated 

 himself at a respectful distance from the king, to 

 whom he showed great and marked respect. 



Mr. Rabone, the assistant missionary, was the 

 interpreter, and the conversation or talk that passed 

 between us was in an undertone. The peculiarity 

 of figurative speech, common to all the islanders, 

 was very marked in King George, affording a con- 

 densed, or rather concise mode of expression, that 

 is indicative of sense and comprehension. They 

 began by assuring me of the pleasure it gave them 

 to see me, when they were just about going to 

 war, and were in much trouble. I proposed 

 myself as a mediator between the parties, and that 

 each party should appoint ten chiefs, to meet 

 under my direction and protection, in order to 

 arrange all the difficulties between them ; that 

 these should meet on neutral ground, on the island 

 of Pangai-Moutu, about half-way between the 

 heathen fortress of Moa and Nukualofa. I also 

 offered to send officers or go myself to the heathen 

 fortress, to make a similar request of them. With 

 all this they appeared pleased, but in answer to it 

 King George simply asked, " Will they ever re- 

 turn ?" After a little conversation, they assented 

 to my propositions. I then took the occasion to 

 rebuke them mildly for allowing their followers to 

 assemble in their war-dresses, and with so many 

 warlike preparations on such an occasion, telling 

 them that I thought it indicated any thing but the 

 peaceful disposition, in the belief of the existence 

 of which I had called the meeting. The affair 

 concluded by their leaving the whole matter to my 

 discretion, and with an assurance that they would 

 conform to my decision. During the half hour 

 spent in this conference, the whole multitude out- 

 side seemed as though they were transfixed to the 

 spot, awaiting in anxious expectation the result. 

 As King Josiah (who it seems is exceedingly prone 

 to somnolency) was now seen to be nodding, I 



