TONGATABOO. 29 



the natives never turn the back upon her until at thirty or forty feet 

 distance, and never eat in her presence. She is old enough to re- 

 member the arrival of Cook when she was a child. We found her 

 sitting in her house, with a child who could just walk, (both enclosed 

 in a rolled screen, before described,) whom she was feeding with 

 cocoa-nut pulp. We shook hands and sat some time with her, 

 making many inquiries about the former persons of the island, which 

 the entertaining volumes of Dr. Martin, relating the adventures of 

 Mariner, had made me acquainted with. She seemed to know Togi 

 Uummea, the name by which Mariner was known, and also most of 

 the people mentioned in Mariner's account. 



On a visit to the missionaries, I found Tubou or King Josiah, who 

 had been sitting for his picture, and had fallen fast asleep. Wishing 

 to get some information from him, I felt desirous of waking him up, 

 and for that purpose asked him some questions about the kingly sport 

 of rat-hunting, described in Mariner's Tonga Islands, and whether he 

 could not indulge me with an exhibition of a hunt. His eyes at once 

 brightened, and he became aroused to great animation, as though his 

 former feats and pleasure in this sport were vividly before him. He 

 regretted that the present state of the island, and the all-engrossing 

 war, occupied too much of their attention to allow them to engage in 

 any such peaceful occupation. He was represented to be a great 

 sportsman, and the animation with which he spoke gave evident 

 proof of it. He said that the game or sport was now seldom prac- 

 tised ; that the rats had, in consequence, much increased, and were 

 a great annoyance to the cultivator ; — but the war seemed to engross 

 all the powers of his feeble mind. He told me that the heathen in 

 all had fifteen hundred warriors; that they usually made war by 

 attacking the taro and yam-grounds : these they plunder and destroy, 

 which ultimately produces a famine, not only to their enemies but to 

 themselves. He seemed to rejoice that the heathen had made the first 

 attack, as they would thereby, according to their belief, be conquered. 

 He told me he much desired peace and quietness, and was willing to 

 do any thing to bring it about ; and as far as he was personally con- 

 cerned, I believe he was in earnest, for every one seemed to give him 

 the credit of being an imbecile sleepy fellow, and paid him little or 

 no respect. 



During this visit I also saw a noted Feejee warrior, who had been 

 absent from Tonga many years, and on his return had been engaged 



VOL. III. 8 



