MALOLO. 301 
on a certain day in the square, where each one deposits in a large 
heap what goods and wares he may have. Any one may then go 
and select from it what he wishes, and carry it away to his own 
heap; the other then has the privilege of going to the heap of the 
former and selecting what he considers to be an equivalent. This is 
all conducted without noise or confusion. If any disagreement takes 
place, the chief is there to settle it; but this is said rarely to happen. 
The chief has a right to take what he pleases from each heap. 
Towards sunset, as was my custom, I went on board. 
The missionaries had mentioned to me that the skulls of the men 
that had been eaten a few days since were lying on the beach. We, 
in consequence, looked for them, but they were not to be found. 
We took leave of our missionary friends, with many feelings of 
regret, for their situation is a most deplorable one, and I sincerely 
wished them safely fixed in another and a happier position, and that 
they had some other protector than the brute Tui IIla-illa, in ee 
hands their fate seems to be continually precarious. 
Here I received information of the wreck of the whale-ship Shylock, 
on Turtle Island, and felt extremely desirous of sending one of the 
vessels to the assistance of the crew and preservation of the cargo, if 
any remained. 
I had promised the king and chief that I would show him some of 
our “ fiery spirits” after it grew dark; and when eight o’clock came, 
the rockets were set off. The loudest shoutings were heard from the 
beach, where the whole koro had gathered to witness the “ fiery 
spirits” flying in the air. I had promised that they should do them 
no harm, as we were friends. A rocket happened to be placed just 
over one of the guns, which, like the others, was kept primed and with 
the apron on; but the latter not being fastened, the rocket blew it off 
and set fire to the charge, which went off at the same time. The 
gun was loaded with grape and canister. Fortunately the tender was 
lying so that the shot flew obliquely towards the beach, and fell in the 
water before reaching it. A point or two nearer, and they would have 
had a practical illustration of our “ devils” by their sweeping the arms, 
legs, and heads of many of them off. The firing of the gun produced 
great astonishment both to them and ourselves. 
The news of Captain Croker’s attack on the town of Bea, at Tonga, 
reached us here, and excited a good deal of interest, as I had but a 
few months before been endeavouring to mediate a peace between the 
hostile parties. It appears that Captain Croker, being desirous of 
bringing the war and difficulties to an end, espoused warmly the mis- 
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