Gifford — Tongan Place Names 5 



feet elevation), Kao (3380 feet elevation), Late (1700 feet elevation), 

 Fonualei (600 feet elevation), Niiiatoputapu (350 feet elevation), and 

 Tafahi (2000 feet elevation). 



Two of the coralline islands are quite elevated ; Eua attains the height 

 of 1070 feet and Vavau the height of 670 feet. 



Most of the Tonga islands fall both politically and geographically into 

 three divisions. From south to north they are the Tongatabu group, the 

 Haapai group, and the Vavau group. Geographically these groups em- 

 brace only the coral islands, but politically Kao and Tofua are parts of 

 Haapai, and Late is a part of Vavau, though all three are volcanic and lie 

 thirty or forty miles west of Haapai and Vavau proper. 



The southernmost portion of the Haapai group is cut off from the main 

 portion by about ten miles of deep water. It is often dignified geographi- 

 cally with the term Nomuka group. It is here treated, however, as a por- 

 tion of Haapai. 



TONGAN GEOGRAPHIC POEMS 



Tongan poets are much given to the composition of verses dealing en- 

 tirely with Tongan geography; in fact, the feeling for the beauties of 

 nature is one of the marked cultural characteristics of the Tongan people. 

 Martin * has published two such compositions, and a number of poems 

 dealing with the islands of the Tongatabu, Haapai, and Vavau groups are 

 presented in the following pages of this paper. 



"Koe Otu Motu o Haapai" is a fragment of ancient verse evidently ex- 

 pressing the feeling of monotony which had overcome the poet, after a long 

 sojourn on the small and low island of Lifuka in the Haapai group. With 

 the high volcanic islands of Tofua and Kao in sight to the westward his appe- 

 tite for wandering got the best of him. He at last obtained surcease for his 

 feelings by sailing to Auhangamea, a deep passage between the islands of 

 Uoleva and Tatafa. From thence he appears to have gone to rugged 

 Tofua, where he scaled the rocky hills and viewed an active volcano and 

 the great crater lake, which occupies the center of the island — a change, 

 indeed, from the gentle charms of low-lying, coconut-enshrouded Lifuka. 



'Martin, John (M.D.), .^n account of the natives of the Tonga Islands in the 

 South Pacific Ocean, with an original grammar and vocabulary of their language. 

 Compiled and arranged from the extensive communications of Mr. William Mariner, 

 several years resident in those islands, 2nd ed., vol. i, p. 293; vol. 2, p. 321, Lon- 

 don, John Murray, 1818. 



