42 TONGATABOO. 



the cause of the difficulty,) I immediately ordered them to be lauded. 

 I did this because I was not willing to have an appearance of incon- 

 sistency in the minds of these natives, in first blaming conduct I 

 thought unwarrantable in Captain Wilson, and then doing the same 

 act myself. Had I taken any other course, it would no doubt have 

 provoked aggression upon the first American vessel that visited any 

 of the ports of this group. My commisei'ation and that of many of 

 the officers was excited at the sight of these poor defenceless crea- 

 tures, who were desirous to return to their native island, and who 

 had made such strenuous efforts to accomplish their wishes ; but my 

 public duty was too well defined for me to allow their tears and 

 entreaties to prevail over higher considerations. 



The intercourse between the Feejee and Tonga Islanders, has been 

 of late years frequent; the latter are more inclined to leave their 

 homes than the former, and when a Tongese has once visited the 

 Feejee Group and returns safely, he is looked upon as a traveller. In 

 Tonga they consider and look up to the Feejee Islanders as more 

 polished, and their opinions are viewed with much respect; this, one 

 not only observes in their conversation, but they show it in adopting 

 their manners and customs, and the attention and deference they pay 

 to the opinions of those who have visited or belong to that group ; 

 from them they obtain their canoes, and have learned the art of sailing 

 and navigating them; and from the situation of their islands, being 

 more exposed to a rough ocean, they are probably now better and 

 more adventurous navigators. This intercourse is kept up more par- 

 ticularly with the eastern islands of the Feejees : at Lakemba we 

 found many of them residing. When Cook visited this group, little 

 was known of the Feejees. Thirty years afterwards, during the time 

 Mariner resided on the Tonga Islands, the intercourse and informa- 

 tion had become greater and more accurate ; and at the period of our 

 visit, we heard of many things that were passing in that group as 

 familiar topics ; and we found among them many Tongese who were 

 enjoying the hospitality of their western neighbours. The prevailing 

 winds are in favour of the intercourse on the side of the Tongese, 

 which may in some measure account for it; and the favour with which 

 they have always been received, and the flattering accounts those who 

 returned have given of their reception, may in some measure account 

 for the desire they always evince to pay the Feejee Group a visit. In 

 a very few years, through the intercourse that will be brought about 

 by the missionaries, there will be as much passing to and fro between 



