34 TONGATABOO. 
the number of old persons, longevity is by no means uncommon. The 
venereal disease has not made the same devastation here as elsewhere ; 
probably because, as respects morals and virtue, these natives are the 
opposite to those of ‘Tahiti. 
Desirous of obtaining some of their arms, implements, and other 
curiosities, Mr. Waldron, Mr. Hale, and Mr. Vanderford, went to 
Nukualofa to make purchases, taking with them a large assortment of 
articles for the fair. The difficulties to be encountered in making 
purchases of the natives is scarcely to be imagined ; no small amount 
of patience is required to go through the chaffering that is necessary 
to secure the article desired; for if their price is at once acceded to, 
they consider their bargain is a bad one. No inducement is sufficient 
for them to part with several articles of a kind at once; each must be 
disposed of separately, and on all, a like chaffering must be gone 
through with. ‘The natives, before they bring articles for sale, fix their 
minds upon something they desire to obtain, and if that is not to be 
had, they take their things away again, it matters not whether the 
article is equivalent in value or not. Mr. Vanderford, who has been 
here several times since 1810, told me “ he had never found the Tonga 
people such saucy fellows.” 
During our stay here, we were much incommoded by the mus- 
quitoes. I never saw them more troublesome; and for three or four 
nights the oficers and men obtained no sleep, which, added to the 
excessive heat, was overpowering, after the fatigues of a day spent in 
surveying. I never saw the men look as much fatigued when the day 
dawned ; some of them declared that the musquitoes had bitten through 
every thing but their boots and hats; they even sought shelter in the 
tops and cross-trees, hoping thus to escape the attacks of these tor- 
mentors; the ship was so filled with them, that she was (not unaptly) 
likened to a musical-box. Their attacks bade defiance to all defences 
in the way of musquito-nets; night observations became almost imprac- 
ticable in consequence of this intolerable annoyance, and I felt quite 
desirous for the time of our departure from the island to arrive. 
On the Ist of May, our observations and surveying duties being 
completed, the instruments were embarked, and the boats hoisted in. 
A new difficulty now arose; for I was informed that the native pilots 
had received a message from the king, forbidding them to take the 
ships through the reefs; and although we needed their services but little, 
yet I thought it was a circumstance that required some investigation. 
I however gave orders to weigh anchor; but, while in the act of doing 
so, the Porpoise was reported as in sight: I therefore awaited her 
joining company. She had been detained in consequence of light, 
