THE MARTYRS OF TONGA 23 
idea of attempting to escape from the island. They seemed 
to be making no impression upon the natives. They were 
assured that the savage chief Finau, who had by the murder 
of his brother been the occasion of the horrid wars that had 
already taken place, and in which he had been the principal 
actor, had determined to put some of them to death, and they 
were in danger of actual starvation; while of clothing, ex- 
cept native tapa, they must have been almost if not quite 
destitute. Some articles of wearing apparel that had be- 
longed to the murdered missionaries had been recovered. 
“They had serious thoughts of attempting to reach the 
coast of Australia in the boat which they had built, but hav- 
ing no means of navigating the boat, nor of obtaining the 
requisite provisions for the voyage, the project was aban- 
doned, as it seemed to threaten certain destruction. The 
fact that it was entertained at all shows most forcibly that 
in their estimation man’s extremity had been reached. 
“Another fearful struggle between the chief Finau and 
the Ahifuans was impending; but before that actually took 
place, an opportunity was afforded, in a most remarkable 
manner, to the missionaries of leaving the island. On the 
2lst of January, three days after the storm, a ship touched 
at the island. She was an English privateer, with a Spanish 
vessel as a prize. The captain had called at Tahiti, but had 
relinquished his intention of touching at Tonga on his way 
to New South Wales. 
“But mark the hand of an overruling Providence! The 
storm which had wrought such havoc on land, had drifted 
the vessel far to the leeward of the island on which the mis- 
sionaries were imprisoned; but she had an errand there, and 
there she must be brought, and this was effected by a calm 
which followed the storm, and a strong current which carried 
the vessel back to the island, and afforded the missionaries 
an opportunity of escape. As soon as the captain was made 
acquainted with their circumstances, he generously offered 
them a passage to Port Jackson, with the best accommoda- 
