98 TONGATABOO, 
and for that purpose asked him some questions about the kingly sport 
of rat-hunting, described in Mariner’s Tonga Islands, and whether he 
could not indulge me with an exhibition of a hunt. His eyes at once 
brightened, and he became aroused to great animation, as though his 
former feats and pleasure in this sport were vividly before him. He 
regretted that the present state of the island, and the all-engrossing 
war, occupied too much of their attention to allow them to engage in 
any such peaceful occupation. He was represented to be a great 
sportsman, and the animation with which he spoke gave evident proof 
of it. He said that the game or sport was now seldom practised ; that 
the rats had in consequence, much increased, and were a great annoy- 
ance to the cultivator ;—but the war seemed to engross all the powers 
of his feeble mind. He told me that the heathen in all had fifteen 
hundred warriors; that they usually made war by attacking the taro 
and yam-grounds ; these they plunder and destroy, which ultimately 
produces a famine, not only to their enemies but to themselves. He 
seemed to rejoice that the heathen had made the first attack, as they 
would thereby, according to their belief, be conquered. He told me 
he much desired peace and quietness, and was willing to do any thing 
to bring it about; and as far as he was personally concerned, I believe 
he was in earnest, for every one seemed to give him the credit of 
being an imbecile sleepy fellow, and paid him little or no respect. 
During this visit I also saw a noted Feejee warrior, who had been 
absent from Tonga many years, and on his return had been engaged 
in these wars; he was described as a very wicked fellow, and if so, I 
can only say that his looks did not belie him: a worse or more brutal- 
looking man I have seldom seen. I understood that his arrival had 
been looked for with much impatience by the heathen, as affording 
them additional strength in a noted leader; but, to the surprise of all, 
he joined himself to King George, and desired to become a Christian ; 
he was received as such, and was now employed fighting against the 
heathen. 
On the evening of the day on which King George visited the ship, 
he held a council, in which he addressed his chiefs and warriors on 
the necessity of carrying on the war with vigour; and measures were 
taken to prosecute it accordingly. The meeting took place in the 
malai opposite his house, while he sat in the doorway with his two 
children, with the church-people forming a circle around him. At 
this meeting was seen the noted chief and Feejee warrior who has 
already been spoken of, fully armed, in the background. After the 
council had debated and talked over the subject fully, King George 
gave some commands, which several messengers were sent to execute, 
