TONGATABU. 141 



of their intelligence and courage, combined with the patriotic 

 feeling which unites them, renders them formidable enough to 

 make their alliance eagerly sought for in the contests between 

 the different tribes. Those who obtain it, however, have no 

 particular reason to be gratified by any victory obtained by 

 the aid of allies whose rapacity is such that they never leave 

 a district until they have completely ravaged it. 



The states of King George Tuboa, whose royal title is 

 Tuikaixakubidu, comprise the three groups of Tonga, Hapai, 

 and Vavau. About thirty years ago they were independent 

 of each other, and it was the reigning king who subjugated 

 them, for the purpose of assuring the possession of them to 

 his successors. The plan he adopted was that of destroying 

 the power of the principal chiefs by taking possession of 

 their lands, and giving them, as an indemnity, an annuity 

 seciu'ed upon the public revenues. To the natives in general 

 he gave as much land as they could advantageously culti- 

 vate, and he granted to several whites temporary holdings on 

 moderate terms ; but on the ground, so at least he puts it, 

 of his territory being of small extent, he prohibits the sale 

 of any land to any foreigners. It is thought his successor 

 will be Maafa, one of his adopted children, but this is anything 

 but certain. In a trip he made to Sidney, King George was 

 so dehghted with tlie nature and form of constitutional 

 government, as to desire to introduce it into his own 

 kingdom ; unfortunately, he composed his parliament of the 

 chiefs he had dispossessed, and, as is natural, the object of 

 these is to recover their power, or at all events to augment 



