118 THE CRUISE OF THE ' GUEAQOA.' 



moment deficient in trne dignity. The ship's band played 

 throughout dinner ; towards the end the Queen's health was 

 drunk and tliat of the King. In fact his Tongau majesty 

 had 'I'ood reason to be satisfied with his entertainment, and 

 instructed his secretaiy to convey his thanks to tlie Commo- 

 dore. This secretary, Mr. Moss, of whom I have already 

 spoken, is an intelligent man, though not so well educated 

 as might be wished ; he is very shy or very nervous ; at 

 table he could not sit on liis chair without continually 

 fidwettiug with his head and hands : it is said that, before he 

 was in the King's service, he kept a shop on the shore. He 

 informed us that the King has had a mistrust of the French 

 since tliey took him unawares, by making him drunk on 

 board one of their ships, for the purpose of inducing him to 

 sign a document to whicli he objected, and which he cer- 

 tainly never would have signed with a cool head ; hence, as 

 Mr. Moss added, he does not Hke the French, and all the more 

 so, because he feels lie has been their dupe. I have heard it 

 said too that tlie natives of the Friendly Islands, as well as 

 those of Samoa, are apprehensive that the French may one 

 day come and carry off the Protestant missionaries, as they 

 did in the Loyalty Islands. 



It was the King's pleasure to make a return to the Com- 

 modore for the attentions he had received on board the 

 ' Cm'a9oa,' and he therefore gave us a dinner at his jjalace, 

 Avhere we sat down eight. The courses consisted of a sort 

 of Juhenne soup, several dishes of fish and crabs, two fine 

 turkeys, two pigeons, a pair of fowls, a delicious dish of 



