18G 



Three natives of the island of Rotuma 

 found at Tonga. General resem- 



TONGATABOO. 



blance of the Tongese to the Samoaiis. 

 Passion of the Tongese for tobacco. 



make a human sacrifice. They also invoke him 

 when the Tui Tonga is sick; and it depends on the 

 reigning Tui Kanakabolo whether or not a human 

 sacrifice is offered. None but gods are ever per- 

 mitted to come from Bulotu. This god has his 

 spirit-temple, where all their valuable presents to 

 the gods are deposited. I was shown by the mis- 

 sionaries some large whale's teeth that were 

 prettily carved, which had been found in the 

 temple lately destroyed by the Christian party. 



We saw here three natives of the island of Ro- 

 tuma, who had been some time at Tonga : one of 

 them was said to be a chief of high rank; another, 

 an old man, a chief also, and a kind of Mentor 

 to the former, who spoke a little English, and was 

 quite blind, having become so since he had left his 

 own island. The old man seemed to feel great 

 solicitude about his charge, and expressed a wish 

 to get away from Tonga. The reason he gave me 

 for this desire was, " there was too much fight here; 

 it would be bad for the young chief, who was to be 

 a king." He told me also there had been no war 

 on his island for many years. It is generally 

 known by the whalers and othei's, that at Rotuma, 

 the people are the most peaceable of any of these 

 Polynesian islanders ; and the whalers have been 

 in the habit of resorting thither, because they ex- 

 perienced little difficulty, and are in no danger of 

 being molested by the natives. He mentioned 

 that many of his islanders were now abroad, on 

 board of whale-ships, where they earned good 

 wages, and afterwards returned to the island with 

 some property ; he said that Rotuma contained 

 very many people. He who was designated as the 

 high chief, was a pleasing, handsome young man, 

 and appeared modest and gentle in his deportment. 

 Some thought he resembled in physiognomy our 

 American Indians, but I did not myself re- 

 mark it. 



The natives of Tonga, in habits, customs, looks, 

 and general appearance, are so like the Samoans, 

 that we were greatly struck with the resemblance ; 

 indeed, in writing of Samoa, I mentioned that many 

 things have been derived from Tonga, particularly 

 their tapa covering from the waist downwards, 

 called siapo. The two races also agree in having no 

 covering for the head, and the females resemble 

 each other. The missionaries, through the king's 

 ordinance, have caused the females to clothe them- 

 selves up to the neck with the pareu; but this is 

 only conformed to before the missionaries, for we as 

 frequently saw it worn in the native fashion. 



In colour the Tongese are a little lighter than 

 the Samoans, and the young children are almost if 

 not quite white. As they grow up, they are left, 

 both males and females, to run about in a state of 

 nature, with their hair cropped close, except a 

 small curly lock over each ear. This is a practice 

 which has before been spoken of, as prevalent 

 among the Samoans. Indeed, the similarity be- 

 tween the appearance of the children in the two 

 groups is such, that they might be mistaken for 

 each other. A larger proportion of fine-looking 

 people is seldom to be seen in any portion of the 

 globe; they are a shade lighter than any of the 

 other islanders; their countenances ai-e generally 

 of the European cast; they are tall and well made, 

 and their muscles are well developed. We had an 

 opportunity of contrasting their physical characters 

 with those of several other natives, and particularly 



with a native of Erromago. The features of the 

 latter were more nearly allied to those of the negro 

 than any we had yet seen. His hair was woolly, 

 his face prominent, and his lips thick. His nose, 

 however, was not remarkably broad; his eyes were 

 small, deeply sunk, and had a lively expression ; 

 his countenance was pleasing and intelligent, and 

 his cheeks thin; his limbs were slender, and the 

 calf of his leg high*. 



We also found some of the Feejee islanders here: 

 the intercourse between Tonga and the windward 

 islands of the Feejee Group, is frequent. This in- 

 tercourse is said to be the cause of the warlike 

 habits which the Tongese have acquired. The 

 people of Feejee appear to disadvantage when con- 

 trasted with those of Tonga; for the latter have 

 much larger frames, their colour is several shades 

 lighter, and their hair straight and fine, while that 

 of the Feejee is frizzled. 



The women of the Tonga Group are equally re- 

 markable for their personal beauty. 



The natives of Tonga, from the missionaries' 

 accounts, are industrious and ingenious; much at- 

 tachment exists between husband and wife, and 

 they are very fond of their children. We were 

 surprised at their numbers, which give a striking 

 air of cheerfulness and gaiety to the scene, when 

 they are seen in groups, playing, and practising 

 many kinds of jugglery. 



As far as we observed, the Tongese are very fond 

 of amusements, and smoking tobacco is absolutely 

 a passion with them; this is raised by themselves: 

 the leaf is cut up very fine, and then rolled within a 

 fine pandanus-leaf, forming a cigar. The Christian 

 party are not allowed to smoke, although they use 

 large quantities of ava, made of the piper mythis- 

 ticum, which has more intoxicating and deleterious 

 effects than tobacco. So singular an interdiction of 

 the one, with the free use of the other, induced me 

 to ask Mr. Tucker the reason of it, and why, if they 

 had only the power to prevent the use of one, they 

 did not prohibit the most pernicious ? The only 

 answer I got was, that it would be a pity to break 

 up their ava circles. I believe that few rise from 

 them without being somewhat stupified, but it does 

 not amount to actual intoxication. The manner in 

 which these natives use tobacco is one of the most 

 pleasing of their social customs, and shows an 

 absence of all selfishness; it is the same as at the 

 Samoan Group, where the person who lights a pipe 

 seldom gets more than two whiff's of its coutents, as 

 it is immediately passed around. 



As a people they may be termed warlike; and 

 war-councils, making speeches, and drinking ava, 

 may be called the business of their lives. 



The women are said to be virtuous; their em- 

 ployments are to make tapa, mats, baskets, &c., and 

 do the house-work. The men cultivate the ground, 

 and fish. The females are more in the habit of 

 using lime-water and lime on their hair than those 

 we have seen elsewhere. This application turns it 

 red, but its chief use is to promote cleanliness. Of 

 the ingenuity of the men we saw many proofs, in 

 their manufacture of boxes, baskets, and miniature 

 canoes. 



* Among other peculiarities of this native of Erromago, 

 it was stated by the low whites, that instead of wrapping 

 himself up in tapa at night, like the Tongese, he was in the 

 habit of burying himself in the sand in order to avoid the 

 musquitoes. 



