TONGATABOO. 19 



of the events that have taken place during the last fifteen or twenty 

 years. He is one of the missionaries' most zealous converts, and I 

 believe to Mrs. Tucker is due the credit of teaching him ; he has, I 

 understood, sole charge of their large school of three hundred scholars, 

 and it, in order and regularity, equals, if it does not exceed, any in 

 our own country. Mrs. Tucker thinks this is partly to be ascribed to 

 his being a high chief, whom they are brought up to have a great 

 respect for. Mumui's countenance shows much intelligence, but his 

 figure is rather out of proportion : his age is under thirty. 



On the 27th, I visited Nukualofa, on business respecting the 

 English schooner Currency Lass, Captain Wilson, which vessel was 

 found here. The master reported that two of his men had been 

 seized by King George, and imprisoned, until a ransom was paid, 

 and the four Feejee women he had on board were delivered up. On 

 inquiry, it proved that two of the crew of the Currency Lass, with 

 the knowledge of the commander and owner, (who was present,) had 

 taken the Feejee women on board at Vavao, knowing it to be against 

 the laws of that island ; they thence sailed for Tonga. On their 

 leaving Vavao, a canoe was immediately despatched to Tonga, to 

 inform King George of the occurrence, and it arrived before the 

 vessel. King George, on her arrival, immediately sent on board for 

 the purpose of a search ; but the women were concealed below, and 

 they were believed not to be on board. It however became known, 

 in some way, that they were there, and when four of the vessel's 

 crew were sent on shore to mend the casks to receive oil, King George 

 seized them, and tied them to trees. He then sent word, that the 

 women must be given up, and that the owner must pay a ransom of 

 muskets for the men. I found no difficulty in arranging the business. 

 King George was very frank and straightforward about it, and told 

 the facts very much as they are above related. On my pointing out 

 to him that he had taken the wrong course, and was punishing the 

 innocent men of the crew, he said he had no means of telling who 

 were the guilty, but that if he had done any thing wrong he was 

 willing to make amends. I thought that the conduct of the Currency 

 Lass had been improper, and the decision being left to me, I deter- 

 mined that the men should be set at liberty, the women given up, 

 and the nmskets paid ; that King George should return the water- 

 casks, and pay for those that had been injured. I took occasion, 

 however, to impress upon King George the necessity of not being so 

 precipitate in punishing the innocent for the guilty. The men of the 



