TONGATABU. 117 



amuse him, some Armstrong guns were discliarged, the 

 shells and balls of whicli made so powerful an impression 

 upon him that he could not help saying, ' liad he not been 

 aware tliat we were made of flesh and blood, he would liave 

 taken us for supernatural beings.' Having himself been in 

 his youth a distinguished warrior, it can be easily under- 

 stood what attractions our ship must have had for him. 

 Indeed, whatever reminded hini of his warlike exploits, and 

 of everything associated witli war, could not fail to be ex- 

 tremely agreeable to him, for at his outset he was merely 

 the chief king of the middle group, that of Hapai, and it 

 was by right of conquest that he added the other two 

 groups to his crown. 



The day following, tlie King came to dine with the Com- 

 modore, who of course treated him with every luxury that the 

 situation was capable of. Our royal guest had sent a turtle 

 on board, and an attempt had been made to tin-n it into 

 soup, but so unsuccessfully tliat it was to nobody's taste, 

 which we all seidously felt was a disgrace to the British 

 flag. Thougli he had made a voyage to Sydney, where he 

 liad the opportunity of seeing ice, tlie King had never drank 

 iced cliampagne ; gi-eat therefore was liis surprise and great 

 his joy when he tasted that which the Commodore gave 

 him, l)ut of whicli he drank moderately, for besides being 

 temperate he is accustomed to drink port wine and cham- 

 pagne at his own liouse. In a word his manners were 

 thought excellent, his dress unexceptionable ; he knows 

 how to behave in a society of gentlemen, and is never for a 



