32 TONGATABOO. 



here, that I regretted to hear of. On board the Currency Lass were 

 two Catholic missionaries, who had been in this small vessel of one 

 hundred and twenty tons for five months, and three weeks of that time 

 they were in this harbour, without having received even an invitation 

 to visit the shore from the Wesleyan missionaries, nor were any civilities 

 whatever offered or paid to them. I can easily conceive why objections 

 should be made to their preaching or remaining to propagate their 

 creed in a field that was already occupied ; but to withhold from them 

 the common courtesies of life, in the present state of the world, sur- 

 prised me not a little ; and I am satisfied that the example set in this 

 case by the missionaries has caused much remark among the natives 

 themselves upon this want of hospitality. They cannot understand the 

 dogmas of the different sects of Christians, so that they naturally look 

 upon them all as missionaries of this same faith, and cannot see why 

 they should treat each other with less courtesy than is extended to 

 those who are not missionaries. Their ideas of enemies only extend 

 to those who fight, which they well know all missionaries refuse to 

 do. Were missionaries aware of the unfavourable impression pro- 

 duced on the minds of most of the natives by such intolerance, it 

 would never be practised, particularly as it is calculated to excite pre- 

 judices in strangers who visit their different mission stations, which 

 not unfrequently so blinds them that they go away with unfavourable 

 impressions. Every endeavour is frequently made by those whites 

 who are resident near them to store up and repeat these facts, with 

 exaggerations, which go far to damp the ardour of those who are in- 

 terested in forwarding the great cause in which they are engaged. 

 For all these considerations, they ought to avoid, by every means, fall- 

 ing short of that high-minded liberality that is expected from them. 



The Tongese are remarkable for their feats in swimming, and are 

 very daring when sailing their canoes. An instance was told me 

 that occurred in 1839, the year before our visit, which is looked upon 

 as a well-established fact in this group. Two canoes left Hapai for 

 Vavao ; on their way, the wind arose and blew a strong gale from the 

 north directly against them; one of them was driven back and 

 landed at Ofalanga, an uninhabited island of the group, occasionally 

 visited by the natives for nuts, shells, fish, &c. ; in the other canoe, as 

 they were taking in sail, a man fell overboard, and, the wind and 

 sea being strong and high, it was found impossible to save him 

 without risking the lives of all on board, and he was given up ; this 

 was about four o'clock, and the canoe was just in sight of land. The 



