TONGATABU. . 115 



taiy, and Mr. Whewell tlie missionaiy, who acted as oiir 

 interpreter. Tall and robust as he is, the King is not 

 precisely corpulent ; his feet are large, and his left foot 

 seems to be partially paralysed. I was a good deal struck 

 with the very dignified air with which he received us. We 

 were told that he understands Enghsh tolerably well, but 

 that he has never spoken it. The Commodore briefly ad- 

 dressed him as follows : — ' I am very glad to see the King 

 of the island, and to find him in good health. It gives 

 me great pleasure, as Her Majesty's representative, to find 

 your country in so peaceable a state, and your subjects so 

 Christian-like. I should be veiy glad to offer you any 

 assistance in my power.' The King replied through his 

 secretary, that he was ' very happy to see Sir William, and 

 that it was now a long while since a British man-of warhad 

 visited Tongatabu.' It was then arranged that the King- 

 should come on board the next day at half-past nine a.m., to 

 examine in detail the largest ship he had ever seen, and 

 we took our leave, after a promise from his majesty that he 

 Avould come and dine on board the ' Cura^oa ' the day 

 after he had visited the ship. We saw that a new wooden 

 palace was being put up with a verandah ail round it, the 

 whole of which had been made at Sydney on the plan of 

 the bungalows of JSTorfolk Island : it was nearly finished, 

 there being only wanting a few planks that were expected 

 from Australia. 



It would seem as if the King had a fancy for house build- 

 ing, inasmuch as when he was visited by Captain Erskine 



I 'i 



