TONGATABIT. 117 



amuse him, some Armstrong guns were discharged, the 

 shells and balls of which made so powerful an impression 

 upon him- that he could not help saying, ' had he not been 

 aware that we were made of flesh and blood, he would have 

 taken us for supernatural beings.' Having himself been in 

 his youth a distinguished warrior, it can be easily under- 

 stood what attractions our ship must have had for him. 

 Indeed, whatever reminded him of his warlike exploits, and 

 of everything associated with war, could not fail to be ex- 

 tremely agreeable to him, for at his outset he was merely 

 the chief king of the middle group, that of Hapai, and it 

 was by right of conquest that he added the other two 

 gi'oups to his crown. 



The day following, the King came to dine with the Com- 

 modore, who of course treated him with every luxury that the 

 situation was capable of. Our royal guest had sent a turtle 

 on board, and an attempt had been made to turn it into 

 soup, but so unsuccessfully that it was to nobody's taste, 

 which we all seriously felt was a disgrace to the British 

 flag. Though he had made a voyage to Sydney, where he 

 had the opportunity of seeing ice, the King had never drank 

 iced champagne ; great therefore was his surprise and great 

 his joy when he tasted that which the Commodore gave 

 him, but of which he drank moderately, for besides being 

 temperate he is accustomed to drink port wine and cham- 

 pagne at his own house. In a word his manners were 

 thought excellent, his dress unexceptionable ; he knows 

 how to behave in a society of gentlemen, and is never for a 



