10 TONGATABOO. 



enter, which he did, and seated himself at a respectful distance from 

 the king, to whom he showed great and marked respect. 



Mr. Rabone, the assistant missionary, was the interpreter, and the 

 conversation or talk that passed between us was in an undertone. 

 The peculiarity of figurative speech, common to all the islanders, 

 was very marked in King George, affording a condensed, or rather 

 concise mode of expression, that is indicative of sense and compre- 

 hension. They began by assuring me of the pleasure it gave them 

 to see me, when they were just about going to war, and were in much 

 trouble. I proposed myself as a mediator between the parties, and 

 that each party should appoint ten chiefs, to meet under my direction 

 and protection, in order to arrange all the difficulties between them ; 

 that these should meet on neutral ground, on the island of Pangai- 

 Moutu, about half-way between the heathen fortress of Moa and 

 Nukualofa. I also offered to send officers or go myself to the heathen 

 fortress, to make a similar request of them. With all this they ap- 

 peared pleased, but in answer to it King George simply asked, " Will 

 they ever return?" After a little conversation, they assented to my 

 propositions. I then took the occasion to rebuke them mildly for allow- 

 ing their followers to assemble in their war-dresses, and with so many 

 warlike preparations on such an occasion, telling them that I thought 

 it indicated any thing but the peaceful disposition, in the belief of the 

 existence of which I had called the meeting. The affair concluded 

 by their leaving the whole matter to my discretion, and with an 

 assurance that they would conform to my decision. During the half 

 hour spent in this conference, the whole multitude outside seemed as 

 though they were transfixed to the spot, awaiting in anxious expecta- 

 tion the result. As King Josiah (who it seems is exceedingly prone 

 to somnolency) was now seen to be nodding, I judged it time to move 

 an adjournment, and the council was broken up. 



All now became bustle and apparent confusion ; every one was in 

 motion ; the whole village, including the women and children, carry- 

 ing baskets, hoes, sticks, &c, besides their arms and war-instruments: 

 all were going to the yam-grounds, expecting an engagement with the 

 heathen. It had a fine effect to see them passing quickly through the 

 beautiful cocoanut-groves, in companies of fifteen to twenty, in their 

 martial costumes, painted, belted, and turbaned, — some of the finest 

 specimens of the human race that can well be imagined, surpassing 

 in symmetry and grace those of all the other groups we had visited. 

 The fashion of their warlike dress is changed for every battle, in order 



