104 TEE CBUISE OF THE 'CUEAQOA: 



CHAPTEE VI. 



TONGATABU— TONGA GROUP— contiuned. 



(Jolt 17 to 22.) 



Numerous Islands — Volcano of Latte — First Trip on Shore — Royal Palace — ■ 

 Schools — Muscular Christianity — The Wesleyan Mission and its Chapel — ■ 

 Captain Croker and the Siege of Bea — Visit to King George — The King's 

 Return- visit — His Majesty dines on Board — Fear of the French — A Dinner 

 at the King's — Catholic Missionaries — Council House — The Kava-ring — 

 Public School Examinations — Native Diversions — Remarkable Monument — 

 The Island and its Productions— Climate — ^Maladies — Population — The Race 

 and its Customs — Christianity and its Eifects — Relations of the Tongans with 

 the Fijians — Government and Constitution. 



On July 15, at seven o'clock a.m., Ave left the deep waters 

 of the port of Vavaii, and steamed towards Tongatabu. 

 We took what is called the passage of the ' Astrolabe,' and 

 saw a number of islands which, though lying low, that is to 

 .say, not more than from five to ten feet above the level of the 

 sea, presented a very pleasing appearance by their verdure, 

 •and their trees growing down to the water's edge. The 

 smallest are of a roundish form, but the lai'gest are oblong. 

 Frebty bays gracefully indent their coasts ; the soil of all of 

 them appeared to me to be volcanic. On our starboard 

 side, but at .a distance from us, rose the volcanic cone of 

 the httle isle of Latte, from which a whitish smoke issued. 

 In the afternoon we sighted the low isles of the Hapai 

 group ; towards evening our soundings showed only ten 



