192 



Intercourse between the Feejee and Tonga 

 islanders. Departure from Tongataboo. 



OVOLAU. 



Tom Granby. Departure from 

 Tongataboo. 



early in the morning. Well understanding, from 

 the interview I had with King George in relation to 

 The Currency Lass, his feelings on the subject, (for 

 the abduction of these very women from the island 

 of Vavao had been the cause of th.e difficulty,) I 

 immediately ordered them to be landed. I did 

 this because I was not willing to have an appear- 

 ance of inconsistency in the minds of these natives, 

 in first blaming conduct I thought unwarrantable 

 in Captain Wilson, and then doing the same act 

 myself. Had I taken any other course, it would 

 no doubt have provoked ^aggression upon the first 

 American vessel that visited any of the ports of 

 this group. My commiseration and that of many 

 of the officers was excited at the sight of these 

 poor defenceless creatures, who were desirous to 

 return to their native island, and who had made 

 such strenuous efforts to accomplish their wishes; 

 but my public duty was too well defined for me to 

 allow their tears and entreaties to prevail over 

 higher considerations. 



The intercourse between the Feejee and Tonga 

 islanders, has been of late years frequent; the 

 latter are more inclined to leave their homes than 

 the former, and when a Tongese has once visited 

 the Feejee Group and returns safely, he is looked 

 upon as a traveller. In Tonga they consider and 

 look up to the Feejee islanders as more polished, 

 and their opinions are viewed with much respect; 

 this one not only observes in their conversation, 

 but they show it in adopting their manners and 

 customs, and the attention and deference they pay 

 to the opinions of those who have visited or belong 

 to that group; from them they obtain their canoes, 

 and have learned the art of sailing and navigating 

 them ; and from the situation of their islands, 

 being more exposed to a rough ocean, they are 

 probably now better and more adventurous navi- 

 gators. This intercourse is kept up more particu- 

 larly with the eastern islands of the Feejees: at 

 Lakemba we found many of them residing. When 



Cook visited this group, little was known of the 

 Feejees. Thirty years afterwards, during the time 

 Mariner resided on the Tonga Islands, the inter- 

 course and information had become greater and 

 more accurate; and at the period of our visit, we 

 heard of many things that were passing in that 

 group as familiar topics; and we found among them 

 many Tongese who were enjoying the hospitality 

 of their western neighbours. The prevailing winds 

 are in favour of the intercourse on the side of the 

 Tongese, which may in some measure account for 

 it; and the favour with which they have always 

 been received, and the flattering accounts those 

 who returned have given of their reception, may 

 in some measure account for the desire they 

 always evince to pay the Feejee Group a visit. In 

 a very few years, through the intercourse that will 

 be brought about by the missionaries, there will be 

 as much passing to and fro between them, as there 

 is now among the several islands of either group, 

 which will have a great tendency to advance the 

 civilization of both. 



Previous to my departure, a sailor by the name 

 of Tom Granby desired to have a passage to the 

 Feejees, and although I entertained always much 

 suspicion of the vagabonds who frequent the dif- 

 ferent islands, Tom's countenance was so very 

 prepossessing, and his modesty as to his capabilities 

 as a pilot such as to satisfy me that he was not one 

 of the runaways or convicts; he was, besides, as he 

 informed me, a resident of the island of Ovolau. I 

 had already made up my mind that this island 

 should be the first place the squadron should go 

 to, on account of its central position, which, if the 

 harbour proved convenient, offered the best point 

 whence to superintend the duties and to fix my 

 observatory at; Tom was therefore taken on board, 

 and remained with us during the whole time we 

 were in the Feejee Group, and I was well satisfied 

 with him ; in short, he did not belie his counte- 

 nance. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

 FEEJEE GROUP. ISLAND OF OVOLAU. 



DEPARTURE FROM TONGATABOO THE PORPOISE DETACHED ENTRANCE INTO THE FEEJEE GROUP ARRIVAL AT 

 LEVUKA TUI LEVUKA MESSAGE SENT TO KING TANOA PLANS OF OPERATION TENDER OF THE SHIP LEONIDAS 

 EXCURSION TO THE PEAK OF ANDULONG OBSERVATORY ESTABLISHED BOATS DETACHED TO SURVEY 

 ORDERS TO THE OFFICERS ARRIVAL OF THE FLYING-FISH PRECAUTIONS ARRIVAL OF TANOA HIS RECEP- 

 TION AT LEVUKA HIS VISIT TO THE VINCENNES HIS ADOPTION OF THE RULES AND REGULATIONS HIS SUITE 

 HIS SECOND VISIT DISTRICTS OF OVOLAU LABOURS OF TUI LEVUKA RULING POWER IN OVOLAU TOWN OF 

 LEVUKA DISTRICTS OF THE FEEJEE GROUP RECENT HISTORY OF AMBAU INTRODUCTION OF FIRE-ARMS 

 REIGN OF ULIVOU ACCESSION OF TANOA WAR WITH REWA REBELLION AGAINST TANOA HIS TRIUMPHAL 

 RETURN DISTURBANCES BETWEEN AMBAU AND REWA PREPARATIONS FOR MAKING A GARDEN ROYAL PRE- 

 SENT FROM TANOA DEATH OF DAVID BATEMAN VISIT FROM SERU HIS RECEPTION ON BOARD THE VIN- 

 CENNES VISIT FROM PADDY CONNEL HIS HISTORY. 



AT daylight on the 4th of May, 1840, the squadron 

 got under way from the harbour of Nukualofa, and 

 passing without the reefs through a narrow passage, 

 safely bore off to the westward under all sail, 

 having the wind from east-north-east. At meridian 

 we had the islands of Honga Tonga and Honga 

 Hapai to the north of us; these are both high, and 



are distant from Tonga twenty-seven miles. On 

 the 5th we had a sight of Turtle Island, and deter- 

 mined it to be in longitude 178 33' W., latitude 

 19 48' S.*; it has the appearance of a small 



* Subsequent observations by the Porpoise, place it in 

 longitude 178 37' 13" W., latitude 19 50' S. 



