TONGATABOO. 29 
and the council was dismissed in a truly primitive style and language: 
‘« Let every man go and cook his yams.” 
After the assemblage was dismissed, the king and chiefs remained 
some time in consultation. In this council, an attack upon the heathen 
towns was arranged. The next morning, smoke was seen ascending 
from some of the heathen villages, and word was brought to me after- 
wards, that King George, having sallied forth with eight hundred 
warriors at midnight, had burned two of the heathen towns. Al- 
though he had ordered seven hundred more warriors to follow him at 
daylight, he did not pursue the heathen, who fled before him. On his 
return in the evening he held an ava feast in honour of his success; at 
this meeting, Lavaka and Ata, or the chiefs who held these titles, were 
formally degraded from their offices by the king,—a stroke of policy 
that is thought will have much influence in alienating this people, as it 
has usually had that effect; I, however, very much question its success 
in the present instance, when the parties have such a deadly animosity 
towards each other; for the very authority by which the act of 
degradation is performed, has abandoned the religion by which the act 
was sanctioned. 
The population of the Tonga Islands, as now given by the missiona- 
ries. is 18,500, viz. : 
Eooa, 5 & 3 : : ° 5 ‘ . 200 
Hapai, ° ° ° ° : ° ° . : 4,000 
Vavao, ° ° . . . ° 5 ° 4 4,000 
Keppel’s, . . ; : . . . . ‘ 1,000 
Boscawen, 7 ; . : ‘ a | F 1,300 
Tonga, , ° ° ; ° . ° ° : 8,000 
Total, . : ° - 18,500 
At present the number on Tonga is increased by about one thousand. 
About four thousand five hundred of the natives are Christians, of 
whom two thousand five hundred: are church members. 
The jurisdiction of Tui Kanakabolo, or Lord of Kanakabolo, used 
to extend to Uea or Wallis Island, and several of the smaller islands 
in the neighbourhood. 
This group of islands is divided into three missionary stations, viz. : 
Tongataboo, commenced in. . ° ° . : 1829 
Hapai, Lie : ; 2 : : : ; 1829 
Vavao, gc J : ° : 4 6 é e 1830 
The missionaries reside at each of these stations. The smaller 
islands are under the care of native teachers, and are visited occa- 
C2 
