Cause of the threatened war. 



ToNGATAHOO. 



MsMtviigL-r »r>n to llie heathen 



w;l 



judged it time to move an adjournment, and the 

 council was broken up. 



All now became' bustle and apparent confusion; 

 every one was in million ; the whole village, in- 

 cluding the women and children, carrying baskets, 

 linen, sticks, \c, besides their arms and war tn- 



slru rita : all were going to the yam-ground*, 



expecting an engagement with the heathen, li 

 had a fine effect to see. them passing quickly 

 through the beautiful cocoa-nut groves, in com- 

 panies of fifteen to twenty, in their martial cos- 

 tumes, painted, belted, and turbaned, — some of the 

 finest specimens iff tin. human race thai can well 

 l>o imagined, surpassing in symmetry and grace 

 those of nil the other groups we hiid visited. The 

 fashion of their warlike dress is changed for every 

 buttle, in order to act as a dhguise, and prevent 

 them ten being known to the enemy, but yet they 

 are readily distinguished hy their own party. 



Anxious to know the actual cause of the war, T 

 nuide every inquiry that was in my power, and 

 satisfied myself that it was in a great measure a 

 religious contest, growing out of the zeal the mis- 

 sionaries have to propagate ihc Gospel, and convert 

 the heathen. With this is combined the desire of 

 King George, or Taufaahau, who is already master 

 of llapai and Vavuo, to possess himself of all the 

 islands of tho group. About three years prior to 

 on r visit, a war had broken out in Tonga of a 

 similar character, and the Christian party being 

 hard pn «.sed, sent, to ask the aid ..f King lieorge, 

 who eamo, relieved them, and defeated their 

 enemies. Mr. Unbone, the miwdunary above spok< n 

 of, was residing :it llihifo, a town iir fortress on 

 the west cud of the island, where he converted a 

 few of the natives, who were required to remove 

 from the district by the ata, which is the title the 

 governor of the district bears. They refused, as 

 they asserted their lands were all there, and limy 

 wished to remain. About tho same lime, Mr. 

 Rabuuo thought proper to shoot one of their 

 sacred pigeons, which incensed the people against 

 him ; for if a native had committed the same act, 

 In wmild have been clubbed, ami as he himself 

 confessed he knew their superstitious feeliug for 

 this bird. Mr. Ilabone, in consequence of this 

 occurrence, was obliged to remove to Nukualofa. 

 Tin: In :ii hen al.su complained that I he ir temples 

 were desecrated, their customs broken in upon, 

 and tlieir pleasures destroyed by the Christian 

 party, who endeavoured to interdict their com- 

 forts, and force laws upon them in the shape of 

 tahmiH through their king ; that they even prohi- 

 Lited the smoking of tobacco, an innocent pleasure, 

 which the natives have long boon accustomed lo. 

 and take great delight in, but which is uow for- 

 bidden by royal ordinance to the Christian party, 

 and any infraction of tho law severely punished. 

 The heathen uow wiid that they could uo longer 

 endure these acts, and were determined to resist 

 them by r-iaiiuli.-u. and present the further pro- 

 pagation of the Christian religion. 



The natives who had renounced heathenism, and 

 joined the Christian party, finding they were not 

 permitted to remain at llihifo, retired to a short 

 distance from it, and built themselves a small 

 fortress, which the ata finally blockaded. The 

 Christian party now sent for aid to Nukualofa, 

 and having enlisted the feelings of the mission- 

 aries and their adherents in the cause, they suit a 



message for King George, who again came with a 

 large torce from llapai and Vavnn to tbeir as-iM 

 ance. On bis arrival, a lung conference ensued, 

 in which the nln i \ pressed himscll dodmus 01 

 treating for peace, and proposed lltat a conference 

 should take place in his fort. 



To this King George assented, and proceeded t< 

 the small Christian fortress in the vicinity oj 

 fiihifo, where it is said he was met by a deserter 

 from llihifo, who told him that the only purpose of 

 inviting him to a conference there was to assassi- 

 nate him and his chiefs. This story was said to 

 have been confirmed from other sources, but thin 

 additional evidence seemed far from being sntis- 

 faeimy. King George immediately resolved to in- 

 vest and storm the fortress of llihifo; and, for the 

 purpose of diminishing the enemy's strength, had 

 recourse to a singular Btratagem. He directed all 

 of his men who had any friends or acquaintances 

 in llihifo, and of these there were many, to ad- 

 vance towards ihe walls, and eaeh one to call to 

 his relation, friend, or acquaintance within, ami 

 assure him of safety if be would desert ! This had 

 the desired effect, and agreut many persons. forming 

 a large pan of the garrison, jumped over the wall, 

 and joined the besiegers. The remainder, being 

 weakened and disheartened, surrendered. Tims 

 the difficulty ended for the present, the rest of the 

 heathen not having yet joined in the affair, 

 although it was said they were fully prepared for 

 hostilities. King George now re embarked, lo re- 

 turn home wiih his warriors, sailing for liouga 

 Tonga and llonga itapai, which is the route 

 taken in their voyaged when going back to Yuvan. 



The following account of the resolution he took 

 there was derived from King George, ihrough Mr, 

 Tucker, ami clearly proved to my uund that his 

 object now was to enlarge his dominion a, by add- 

 ing to them the island of Tonga. ** Hore he 

 r> ikcted upon the subject of his departure, and 

 tho defenceless state of King Josiah or Tubou ; 

 and ho was so forcibly struck with his danger, 

 and that of the missionaries, that ho resolved to 

 return, and remain at Nukualofa until the heathen 

 were finally subdued." We, in consequence, found 

 him established, building and tortifying a town, 

 and his forces daily arriving from Vavao and 

 llapai. Indeed his whole conduct did net leave 

 us any room lo doubt what his intentions were, 

 and that the missionaries and he were mutually 

 serving each other's cause. I mentioned my 

 suspicions, relative to King George's ambition, to 

 the missionaries, and bow likely it would be to 

 prevent any reconciliation or peace with the 

 heathen, and was much surprised and struck 

 with the indifference with which Mr. Ilabone 

 spoke of the war. He was evidently mure inclined 

 to have it continue than desirous that it tdmuld 

 bo put a stop to ; viewing it, in fact, as a means 

 of propagating the Gospel. 1 regretn d lo hear 

 such sentiments, and bad little hope, after becoming 

 aware of them, of being instrumental in bringing 

 about a peace, when such unchristian views ex- 

 isted where it was least to he expected. 



On consultation, Eliza Anne Tulmu was selected 

 as the must proper messenger of peace lhat could 

 be sent, and the only one indeed who could go with 

 safety. She is the daughter of Fautu, the heathen 

 chief of Moa, one' of the largest heathen fortresses; 

 is married to a chief of the Christian party. She 



