18 TONGATABOO. 
is determined to die rather than submit to them; and Ata, Takafauna. 
and Vaea, the great chief of Houma. The latter was deposed a short 
time since, yet still retains his title among the heathen. 
Shadrach, or Mumui, as he is also called, is a good sample of the 
Tongese. I saw him at Mr. Tucker’s, where he was introduced to 
me; and I must confess myself not a little surprised to hear him 
address me in tolerably good English, asking me the news, and what 
occurrences had taken place in Europe. It appeared ridiculous to be 
questioned by a half-naked savage upon such subjects; but I must do 
him the justice to say he seemed quite familiar with some of the events 
that have taken place during the last fifleen 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 greai 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. J found no difficulty 
in arranging the business. King George was very frank and straight- 
forward 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 
