118 TEE GBUI8E OF TEE 'OUBAQOAr 



moment deficient in true dignity. The ship's band played 

 throuo-hout dinner ; towards the end the Queen's health was 

 drunk and that of the King. In fact his Tongau majesty 

 liad 'nood reason to be satisfied with his entertainment, and 

 instructed his secretary to convey his thanks to the Commo- 

 dore. This secretary, Mr. Moss, of whom I have akeady 

 spoken, is an inteUigent man, though not so -well educated 

 as might be wished ; he is very shy or very nervous ; at 

 table he could not sit on his chair without continually 

 fido-ettins with his head and hands : it is said that, before he 

 was in the King's service, he kept a shop on the shore. He 

 informed us that the King has had a inistrust of the French 

 since they took him unawares, by making him drunk on 

 board one of their ships, for the purpose of inducing him to 

 sio'n a document to which he objected, and which he cer- 

 tainly never would have signed Avith a cool head ; hence, as 

 Mr. Moss added, he does not hke the French, and all the more 

 so, because he feels he has been their dupe. I have heard it 

 said too tliat the natives of the Friendly Islands, as weU as 

 those of Samoa, are apprehensive that the French ma}' one 

 day come and carry off the Protestant missionaries, as they 

 did in the Loj-alty Islands. 



It was the King's pleasure to make a return to the Com- 

 modore for "the attentions he had received on board the 

 ' Cm^agoa,' and he therefore gave us a dinner at his palace, 

 where we sat down eight. The courses consisted of a sort 

 of Julienne soup, several dishes of fish and crabs, two fine 

 turkeys, two pigeons, a pair of fowls, a delicious dish of 



