1809
Shortly after Tupoumalohi and his followers had departed for the Ha’apai Islands, Finau’s younger daughter, named Saumailangi (which, in the Samoa language, means descended from the sky), about six or seven years of age, fell sick; on which occasion she was removed from her father’s house to another inside a fencing, consecrated to Taliai Tupou, the patron god of the Hau. Almost every morning a hog was killed, dressed, and presented before the house, as an offering to the God, that he might spare her life for the sake of Finau. On these occasions, one or other of the matapules, and sometimes two or three in succession, made an address to the invoked divinity (for he had no priest), to the following purpose: “Here thou seest assembled Finau and his chiefs, and the principal matapules of thy favored land” (the Tonga Islands, taken collectively). “Thou seest them humbled before thee. We pray thee not to be merciless, but spare the life of the woman for the sake of her father, who has always been attentive to every religious ceremony.” (On such occasions they call the person for whom they intercede, however young, either a man, or woman, according to the sex, although they have appropriate words to express boy, girl, and child.) “But if thy anger is justly excited by some crime or misdemeanor committed by any other of us who are here assembled, we entreat thee to inflict on the guilty one the punishment which he merits, and not to let go thy vengeance on one who was born but as yesterday. For our own parts, why do we wish to live but for the sake of Finau? But if his family is afflicted, we are all afflicted, innocent as well as guilty. How canst thou be merciless! Dost thou not see here Finau — and is not Afu [literally, red-hot, or oven-cooked] here, who descended from ancient Tonga chiefs now in Pulotu — and is not Fotu [literally, to stand out] here, and did he not descend from Mumui [literally, to imitate, to follow] formerly Hau of Tonga — and is not ‘Alo [The name of the child of the Tu’i Tonga.] here, and Niukapu and Tupou! Then why art thou merciless?” (Spoken in rather an impatient and peremptory tone.) “Have regard for Finau, and save the life of his daughter.”
Finau was noted for his want of religion. The above words, therefore, were used as mere form, and because no one dared to say otherwise.
Every morning, as before stated, for about a fortnight, a hog was killed and offered to the God, and addresses were made similar to the above, and repeated five, six, or seven times a day, but the God seemed to hearken not to their petition, and the child daily got worse. In about fourteen or sixteen days, finding their prayers unavailing, they took her to another fencing in the neighborhood, consecrated to Tu’ifua Pulotu [literally, king of all the heavenly world]. Here the same ceremonies were practiced for about a week, with as little good result. Finau, finding his daughter getting worse instead of better, ordered his large canoes to be launched, and his wives, chiefs, matapules, in short his whole household, to go on board. His sick daughter was conveyed into the canoe which he and his wives occupied, I also was on board. We set sail for the island of Hunga, which belonged to a priest called Tupoutea, [literally, Tupou with fair skin] who was accustomed to be inspired by Finau’s tutelar god Tupou Toutai. On this island several enclosures or fencings are consecrated to this God. To one of which his daughter was carried, and the same offering and same kind of address was frequently made; but in this case, not before the consecrated house where the sick child lay, but wherever the priest happened to be, which was generally at his own house or at Finau’s. It must here be remarked that those gods who have priests are invoked in the person of the inspired priest wherever he may happen to be. Those who have no priest are invoked at the consecrated house by a matapule, as was the case in the late instance with Taliai Tupou, who has no priest.
Tupou Toutai was thus invoked every day, in the person of his priest, during a fortnight or three weeks. Seated at the head of the kava ring the priest seemed much affected, and generally shed a profusion of tears. To their earnest entreaties he scarcely ever made any answer, and when he did, it was, for the most part, to the following effect: “Why do you weary yourselves with entreating me?” (speaking as if he were the god) “If the power to restore the woman rested solely with me, I would do it. Be assured it is all done by the will of the gods of Pulotu.” Every day he visited the sick girl, frequently sat down by her, took her hand and shed tears. During this time the matapules frequently repaired to the house of the priest, and laying kava before him, consulted him privately. On one of these occasions, Finau not being present, he told them that if they knew why the child was sick they would not come thus to invoke him. He then declared, in general terms, that it was for the common good.
Finau, being informed of this, addressed the priest at the consultation on the following morning, asking him (or rather the god within him) what he meant by the general good? “If my spirits are oppressed, are not those of all my subjects so likewise? But if the gods have any resentment against us, let the whole weight of vengeance fall on my head. I fear not their vengeance; but spare my child. I earnestly intreat you, Tupou Toutai, to exert all your influence with the other gods, that I alone may suffer all the punishment they desire to inflict.”
To this the God returned no answer, and the priest retiring among the people, the company separated.
As soon as Finau arrived at his house, his spirits no doubt much agitated, and his pride, in all probability, much hurt, laid down on his mat, and felt himself much indisposed. His illness hourly increased, and feeling, as he said, a secret presentiment of approaching death, his female attendants ran out and informed his chiefs and matapules, who, in consequence, immediately repaired to his house, and found him unable to speak; for as soon as he saw them he endeavored in vain to give utterance to his ideas, and seemed choked by the vehemence of his inward emotions. At length a flood of tears coming to his relief, he acknowledged the justice of the gods, but lamented greatly that he was about to meet his death on a bed of sickness instead of going to brave it in the field of battle. After a little pause, he said in a calm but firm tone of voice, “I tremble at the approaching fate of my country; for I perceive plainly, that after my death the state of affairs will be much altered for the worse. I have had daily proofs that the obedience of my subjects is not excited by their love but by their fears.”
Several chiefs and matapules who, owing to the crowd, were not able to get into the house, but overheard what passed, went immediately to the priest of Tupou Toutai, and presenting him kava root, sat down before him. An old matapule then addressed him, stating that they had firm belief in the power which the gods possessed of inflicting what punishment they chose upon mortals. He entreated the god to use his influence, with the other powers of Pulotu, that they might not take offence at what Finau had said in the morning, which was merely spoken on the impulse of the moment, when warmly agitated with sentiments of affection for his daughter, and not from any real disrespect to the gods. He supplicated him also to have regard to the general good of the islands, and not by depriving them of Finau, to involve the whole nation in anarchy and confusion. The priest remained some time in silence, and was much affected. At length he announced that the gods of Pulotu had, for a long time past, debated among themselves in regard to the punishment they should inflict upon Finau, for the many instances he had shown of disobedience to religious precepts, and of exceeding disrespect for divine power; that they had at first resolved upon his death, but that he (Tupou Toutai) having repeatedly interceded in his behalf, some of the other gods also took his part; in consequence of which there arose very violent dissensions in Pulotu; not, as he explained to them, by actual fighting, for gods are immortal, and can neither be killed, wounded, nor hurt, but by urgent and potent arguments, which had occasioned, he said, the late high winds and tremendous thunder. That they had consequently come to a resolution of saving his life, seeing that his death would be a greater evil to his people than to himself, and of punishing him in another and perhaps more severe way, namely by the death of his most dear and beloved daughter, who must therefore be inevitably taken from him; for as it had been decreed, beyond all revocation, that either he or his daughter must die, her life could not be saved without taking away his. As a sort of proof of this decree, he bade them remark that while Finau was at this time ill, his daughter was much better, and comparatively full of life and spirits, (which was actually the case.) Tomorrow, he said, her father would be tolerably well, for the gods had not decreed his immediate death, but only a temporary illness, to impress on his mind a sense of their power, and then his daughter would relapse, and be as bad or worse than ever.
The priest being now silent, the chiefs and matapules left him, with a strong belief of the truths he had been telling them. When they arrived at Finau’s house they found him somewhat better, but did not communicate what they had heard from his priest. This however was soon rumoured among the other chiefs and matapules, in the King’s cook-house, where they generally resort for kava, and which from custom has become a sort of rendezvous to pick up or retail news.
I had been with Finau (my patron, father, and protector,) during his illness, upon coming to the cook-house and hearing what the priest had said, went out of curiosity to Finau’s daughter, and was surprised to find her sitting up, eating ripe bananas, and in very good spirits, talking at intervals to her female attendants.
In the evening Finau, feeling himself for the most part recovered, visited his daughter, and found her much worse than, as he was informed, she had been in the morning. He now expressed his intention of passing the night at her house, which he accordingly did. When he awoke in the morning he felt himself perfectly recovered; but going to his daughter’s mat, he found, to his utmost grief, that she was worse than ever. In the course of the morning he went down to the seashore, to give some orders respecting an alteration he designed in the sail of his canoe, in which he also employed himself (to distract his thoughts probably) the greater part of the day. At night he again slept at the house of his daughter; and very early the following morning gave orders for all his chiefs, matapules, and attendants, to go on board his canoes, and gave directions for his daughter also to be carried on board; then following himself, made sail for the island of Ofu [This island is off the southeast coast of Vava’] with intention of consulting ‘Alai-Valu [literally, eight roads] the tutelar god of his aunt Toe’umu. They arrived after two hours sail; and immediately, on landing, went and presented kava root to the priest of that god (the name of the priest I have forgotten). In the meantime the sick child was taken to the god’s consecrated house. The company being seated in the presence of the priest, a bowl of kava was presented to him, when the God said, “It is in vain that you come here to invoke me upon a subject on which you have obtained all the information that it is necessary for you to know. Tupou Toutai has already instructed you in the will of the gods, and I can communicate nothing further.”
The priest having said this, Finau and his attendants rose up and went their way. In the course of the afternoon the supposed victim of divine vengeance was removed to several other consecrated houses in the same island, and was suffered to remain about half an hour or an hour in each, with the hope that she would derive benefit from the auspices of either of the deities, who were imagined to reside in those places. Removal, however, appeared to make her worse; and at length she was almost speechless. During the night her father, with anxious solicitude, sat by the side of her mat, watching, with sighs and tears, the progress of her disorder. The next morning, which brought no sign of returning health to enliven the hopes of an afflicted parent, Finau gave directions to proceed to Makave, the place at Vava’u where Pupunu Kakau, and several other great warriors, were seized by Finau’s orders. By the time they had got a little more than half way to Vava’u, the poor child died. Immediately all the female attendants began to lament in a most woeful strain, beating their breasts with violent agitation, and exhibiting every mark of sorrow and despair. Finau sat in silence and dejection, weeping for the fate of his daughter. In a little time they reached the coast of Vava’u, and took the body to a large house, called Pou-ono (six posts) on the mala’e at Neiafu, followed by Finau, his wives, chiefs, matapules, and attendants, all habited in mats. The body was laid out on a fine and beautiful Samoan mat, and then washed over with a mixture of oil and water; after which it was anointed with sandalwood oil.
The King had determined, in the event of his daughter’s death, not to bury her exactly after the Tonga fashion, but partly according to that, partly agreeably to the custom of Samoa, and partly according to a fancy of his own. After the body was washed and anointed with oil, it was wrapped up in fourteen or fifteen yards of fine East India embroidered muslin, which had formerly belonged to one of the officers of the Port au Prince. It was next laid in a large cedar chest, which had been made on board the same ship, for the use of Mr. Brown, out of some cedar planks taken in a prize. Over the body were strewed wreaths of flowers, made for the purpose by her female attendants.
Orders were now issued by Finau, that nobody should wear mats, (although it was customary on such solemn occasions,) but should dress themselves in new tapas (this is the Samoa custom); and instead of ifi leaves round their necks, he ordered that they should wear wreaths of flowers, (this was an idea of his own,) as if dressed for some occasion of rejoicing. The chest was placed on two large bales of ngatu, in the middle of the house, and the body laid thus in state for the space of twenty days; during which time Mo’unga’otupou, Finau’s principal wife, and all her female attendants, remained constantly with the body. In the course of the first night the mourners broke out in a kind of recitative, like that on occasion of the death of Tupouniua; but in a very imperfect way, because Finau had ordered that no appearance of sorrow or sound of lamentation should be made; but, in spite of this injunction, they occasionally could not restrain their grief, beating their breasts with every mark of deepfelt anguish. It is difficult to conceive the reason of Finau’s whimsical conduct on this occasion, unless it were (as generally interpreted) an impious and revengeful endeavor to insult the gods, by ordering those ceremonies not to be performed which were considered objects of religious duty on such sacred occasions. Every morning and evening provisions and kava were brought for the entertainment of those who attended on the body. On the nineteenth day it was removed from the cedar chest, and deposited in the model of a canoe, about three feet and a half long, made for the express purpose, and nicely polished by one of Finau’s carpenters (this is the Samoa custom). By this time the body had become much inflated, and extremely offensive: but the office of removing it was performed by some natives of Samoa, who were accustomed to such tasks. At Samoa it is the custom to keep the dead above ground for a considerable length of time, as above related. As the body, during this period, is apt to become very inflated, it is the duty of a relation to prevent this happening to a great extent, by the practice of a most disgusting operation, that is, making a hole in some part of the abdomen, and, the mouth being applied, sucking out the putrescent fluids, and spitting them into a dish. This is done out of love and affection for the deceased, without any apparent sign of disgust! I had this from several natives of Samoa.
During the whole of this day, and the following night, the body inclosed in the canoe, with the lid closely fastened down, remained in the house. In the meantime Finau issued orders for a general assembly of all the inhabitants of the island, to take place the ensuing morning before the house, and nobody to be absent under any pretext whatsoever, not even that of illness.
Early the following day all the people, according to Finau’s orders, assembled before the house, where there was a large supply of provisions and kava for the conclusion of the ceremony. In the meantime the body was conveyed to the fa’itoka, where it was deposited, inside the house, without any pomp or form, not within the grave, but on the top of it, that Finau might see the coffin whenever he pleased, and take it away with him whenever he went to a distance.
On this extraordinary occasion, which the caprice of Finau rendered a scene of rejoicing rather than of mourning, after the provisions and kava were shared out, they began the entertainments of wrestling and boxing as usual at festivals. After the men had shown their strength and dexterity in these feats by single engagements, the King gave orders that all the women who resided north of the mu’a should arrange themselves on one side, ready to combat all the women who resided south of the mu’a, who were to arrange themselves on the other. It was not a very rare occurrence for women to fight in pairs on occasions of rejoicing; but a general engagement like this, with about fifteen hundred women on each side, was a thing altogether new, and beyond all precedent, and quite unexpected at a funeral ceremony. The women, however, readily engaged, and kept up the contest, with obstinate bravery, for about an hour, without a foot of ground being lost or gained on either side; nor would the battle have subsided then, if Finau, seeing the persevering courage of these heroines, had not ordered them to desist, the battle having cost them several sprained ankles and broken arms. They fought with a great deal of steadiness, and gave fair hits, without pulling one another’s hair. The men now divided themselves in like manner into two parties, and began a general engagement, which was persisted in a considerable time with much fury, till at length that party which belonged to the side of the island on which Finau dwelt began to give way: instantly he rushed from the house in which he was seated, to reanimate his men by his presence and exertions, which he effected to such a degree, that the opposite party in their turn fell back, and were completely beaten off the ground.
This contest being now ended, the company dispersed, each to his respective home, while Finau retired to a small house, which had been built since his daughter’s death, near Pouono (the large house on the mala’e); and there, feeling himself much exhausted, he laid down to rest from his fatigue. He had not been long in this posture before he found himself very ill. His respiration became difficult; he turned himself repeatedly from side to side; his lips became purple, and his under jaw seemed convulsed. From time to time he groaned deeply and most horribly. [From the symptoms reported here, it appears that Finau may have suffered a heart attack following the sudden and strenuous exertion of the sham fight. His previous illness some days earlier during his daughter’s illness may have been the first sign of heart disease] All the bystanders were much affected. The women shed a profusion of tears, and the men were occupied no doubt with the thoughts of what commotion might happen in the event of his death, what blood might be spilt, and what battles won and lost. The King, in the meanwhile, seemed perfectly sensible of his situation. He attempted to speak, but the power of utterance was almost denied to him; one word alone could be clearly distinguished, “fonua” (land or country); hence it was supposed that he meant to express his anxiety respecting the mischiefs and disturbances that might happen to the country in the event of his death. After waiting a little time, finding he did not get better, the Prince, and a young chief named Vuki [literally, something at a distance] went out to procure one of Finau’s children by a female attendant, to sacrifice it to the gods, that their anger might be appeased, and the health of its father restored. They found the child in a neighboring house, unconsciously sleeping in its mother’s lap. They took it away by force, and retiring with it behind an adjacent fa’itoka, strangled it, as quickly as possible, with a band of ngatu; they then took it, with all speed, before two consecrated houses and a grave, at each place hurrying over a short but appropriate prayer to the God to interfere with the other gods in behalf of Finau, and to accept this sacrifice as an atonement for his crimes. This being done, they returned to the place where Finau lay, but found him with scarcely any signs of life, speechless and motionless; his heart, however, could be just felt to beat. In the meantime he had been placed on a sort of hand-barrow, which had been made on purpose, during the time the child was strangled. Fancying there were still some hopes of his recovery, his friends carried him on this bier to different consecrated houses, although he had, almost beyond a doubt, breathed his last, with violent struggles, about ten minutes before. He was first carried to the house dedicated to Taliai Tupou, where an appropriate prayer to the God was hurried over as quickly as possible. The corpse (for it was now perhaps nothing more, for there was no pulse at the wrist; and I, applying my hand to the region of the heart, found it had ceased sensibly to beat) was conveyed to the house of the God, Tu’ifua-Pulotu, where a similar prayer was preferred. Not contented with this, they next carried it to the grave of a female chief named Sinaitakala and her spirit was in like manner invoked. Some hope still remained; and his body was carried a mile and a half up the country, on the road towards Feletoa, to the residence of Tu’i Tonga, their great divine chief, at Niu Lolo. [literally, coconut oil] When arrived here, the body was conveyed to Tu’i Tonga’s cook-house, and placed over the hole in the ground where the fire is lighted to dress victuals. This was thought to be acceptable to the gods, as being a mark of extreme humiliation, that the great chief of all the Ha’apai Islands, and Vava’u, should be laid where the meanest class of mankind, the cooks, were accustomed to operate. All this time Tu’i Tonga remained in his own house, for his high character, as a descendant of the gods, rendered it altogether unnecessary, and even degrading and improper, that he should interfere in this matter.
By this time, his friends losing all hopes, and being convinced that he was really dead, brought the body back to Neiafu, where it was placed in the large house on the mala’e, called Pouonou [literally, to bow down, as in worshiping]. In the meanwhile, many chiefs and warriors secretly got ready their spears, (which were tied up in bundles,) and put them loose, ready to be seized at a moment’s notice; and selecting out their clubs, arranged them, in order to be used on the urgency of occasion; expecting every moment the shout of war from one quarter or another: and if I just take a cursory view of the state of affairs, at this critical juncture, I find that such apprehensions were by no means groundless.
No sooner was the late Hau deceased, than all those principal chiefs who had, or imagined that they had some claims to the government of Vava’u, were expected to take up arms to assert their cause. Among these was Vuna Lahi, otherwise Tao Kailao [literally, war dance with clubs]; who it may be recollected returned from Samoa with the late King’s son, and was chief of Vava’u at the period of the Tonga revolution; but was afterwards dispossessed of his island by the late Hau. I said that Vuna was tributary to Tuku’aho. This was not exactly the case; he ought to have been, but he neglected to pay his regular tribute, though he occasionally made large presents to the Hau. Finau therefore, winked at the neglect, for Vuna was a great and powerful chief; and the distance of Vava’u from Tongatapu prevented Tuku’aho from risking a war with him.
Tupouto’a was another chief who it was thought would lay claim on this occasion, on account of his great strength in fighting men, and for having killed the late, chief of Vava’u, (Tupouniua). A third chief was Finau Fisi, the late Hau’s brother, who perhaps had a greater claim than either of the two before mentioned, on account of his relationship; he was also a brave warrior, and considered to be a man of great prudence and wisdom. By some it was not supposed that he would lay any claim; for, although he was a brave warrior, when occasions called forth his courage, he was still a very peaceable man, remarkable for sage counsel, and for strong aversion to every kind of conspiracy or disturbance whatsoever. It was the Prince and his party who entertained this high idea of his moderation; two other chiefs and their dependants thought otherwise of Finau Fisi, and expected he would prove a very powerful claimant. Finau originally had two brothers, Finau Fisi, and Tupouniua, but by different wives. Finau’s lengthened name was Finau ‘Ulukalala The proper family name is Finau, but no member of the royal family is allowed to assume the family name till his appointment to the sovereignty, unless his father chooses to give it him as a sort of first name, to which his own proper name is attached, as was the case with Finau’s brother, who was called Finau Fisi.
Apprehensions were also entertained respecting the young chief Vuki, who assisted in strangling the child, for though it was not supposed he would lay claim to the sovereignty, yet being known to be strongly in the interest of Tupouto’a, his conduct required to be strictly watched. These were the chiefs, whose behaviour at this moment the young Prince had to notice with a watchful eye. He had considerable confidence, however, in the sincerity of his uncle. Tupouto’a was at the Ha’apai Islands. Vuna and Vuki therefore were the two whose design he had most immediately to be apprehensive of.
Such was the state of political affairs at the time of Finau’s death. As soon as his body was deposited on the bales of ngatu, as before mentioned, one of his daughters, a beautiful girl of about fifteen, who stood by at the time, went almost frantic with excess of sorrow. The expressions of her grief were at first in loud and frequent screams, or in broken exclamations: “‘Oiaue ‘eku tamai! ‘Oiaue!” “Alas! — Oh! my father! — alas!” Her sorrow was so great that, at times, she appeared quite bereft of reason; and her truly pathetic expressions of it, joined to those of the widows, and female attendants of the late King, all beating their breasts, and screaming from time to time, rendered the house truly a house of mourning, beyond the power of the imagination to picture. The place was lighted up at night, by lamps with coconut oil, (used only on such occasions) presenting a scene, if possible, still more affecting than that which happened on the occasion of Tupouniua’s death.
In the course of the night, I went into the house several times, partly out of curiosity indeed, but principally moved by feelings of regret for the loss of my great and kind patron. For though I could not in every point of view admire him as a man; yet I could not but esteem him and reverence him as a benefactor. I had received from him great and numerous favors; and notwithstanding his faults, there was a something essential in his character which commanded respect; and I felt that, in losing him, I had sustained a very great loss. The Prince checked me in these frequent visits to the house; urging, that as I was a man; I ought to feel as a man, and not mingle my sorrows with those of women; but if I wished to express my love for Finau, who had adopted me as his son, and had given me the name of a son whom he had lost some years before, I should demonstrate that love and respect for the memory of so good a father, by engaging my attentions in the interests of his family, particularly in those of himself, who was his lawful heir; and not show my affliction by a silly profusion of tears and sighs, which was beneath the exalted character of a warrior.
The name of Finau’s son was Toki Ukamea (an iron axe) and was also the name of one of the gods of the sea. As they only obtain iron axes from across the sea, they naturally attribute the advantages which they possess, in having such a useful instrument, to the bounty of a sea god, whom they have accordingly designated by this name. Finau’s son, who so called, was a great favorite of his father, who, when he adopted me, gave me the same name, as a proof of his real esteem. I always went by this name, or, for shortness sake, Toki.
About the middle of the night, no actual disturbance had taken place, but some of the Prince’s confidants, who were dispersed about to be on the watch, brought intelligence that Vuna was holding secret conferences with some of the natives of Vava’u. The Prince, however, thought it advisable not to take any active measures, nor to appear to notice it. He therefore merely ordered his spies to keep a strict eye upon their proceedings, and to obtain all the further information they well could, without incurring suspicion. At the same time he resolved in his own mind, as soon as the consent of the people should establish his authority, to banish all suspicious chiefs to the Ha’apai Islands. About an hour afterwards, he learned that Vuki the preceding day had ordered sundry parties of his men to post themselves behind the bushes, on each side the road to Niu Lolo, during the time that Finau’s body was being carried there, with orders to rush out and kill all who accompanied the body, in case a fit opportunity presented itself. No such opportunity having offered, his men had assembled armed along with him, at a house near the water side, with his canoe close at hand, and had been there all the preceding part of the night. The Prince ordered that no notice should be taken of his hostile position, but that all his own men should keep themselves well armed, and in perfect readiness to meet the enemy in case of a revolt. He also dispatched men to watch as narrowly as possible other chiefs, whom he began to think might be connected with Vuki. During the remainder of the night, no disturbance took place. In the morning, as soon as it was light, the people began to assemble on the mala’e, out of respect to the departed chief; and sat on the ground, waiting for the commencement of the ceremonies usual on such extraordinary occasions.
In the meantime, the Prince, and his uncle, Finau Fisi, prepared kava at a neighboring house, and presented it there to the priest of Tupou Toutai, out of respect to that God, who was now become the tutelar deity of the young Prince. By the mouth of his priest the God desired him not to fear rebellion; for who should dare to rebel against a chief who was the peculiar care of the powers of Pulotu? He commanded him moreover to reflect on the circumstances of his father’s death, as a salutary lesson to himself. “Your father,” said the God, “is now no more; but why did he die? — because he was disrespectful to the gods!”
The conference here ended. A short time after, the Prince, while reflecting on the words of the oracle, was addressed by a woman, who was sitting behind him in waiting, and who was much respected by the late King and his family, on account of her having given him some information respecting a real or supposed conspiracy, on the part of the Vava’u chiefs: (Pupunu, Kakahu, and others, who were seized in consequence at Makave, and afterwards put to death.). This woman remarked to the Prince that his father, just before he was taken ill, had sent two men to her to procure a rope, (she having the care of a store-house,) with orders to bring it to him secretly. These two men, whose names were Tu’uhengi and Popoto, (the former son of Tupou Puku a priest, the latter a cook,) happening now to be present, the Prince turned to them, and asked if they knew the purpose for which his father wanted this rope; whom he meant to bind with it? Hearing this question, I, who was sitting close to him, exclaimed, “What! Did you not know that he intended to bind and afterwards to kill Tupoutea, the priest of Tupou Toutai, to be revenged on this God for not bringing about his daughter’s recovery?”
This intention of the King had only been cautiously whispered about, among a few chiefs and matapules, that were constantly with him; and his sudden sickness and speedy death, which prevented him putting his threats into execution, had so occupied everybody’s thoughts, that the circumstance for a time was forgotten.
This fact was afterwards confirmed by other persons, and particularly by certain warriors, who had actually received order to seize Tupoutea, and murder him. Thus was a plan of sacrilegious wickedness brought to light, which made all those who now heard it for the first time shudder at the mere thought: “No wonder!” (For such was the general exclamation.) “No wonder that he died! A chief with such dreadful thoughts!”
I then stated, in addition, that I had heard the King say more than once, (a few days before he died), “How unmindful are the gods of my welfare! But no! It is not the decree of the gods in general; it is to that vexatious Tupou Toutai, that I owe my misfortunes. He does not exert himself for my good; but wait a little, I’ll be revenged! His priest shall not live long!”
Finau had often stated to me his doubts that there were such beings as the gods. He thought that men were fools to believe what the priests told them. I expressed my wonder that he should doubt their existence, when he acknowledged that he had more than once felt himself inspired by the spirit of Mumui (a former Hau of Tonga). “True!” replied the King, “There may be gods; but what the priests tell us about the gods I believe to be false”
The Prince and his uncle, Finau Fisi, next held a consultation together respecting their mode of conduct, particularly in regard to certain chiefs, who were suspected of not being well disposed towards their family. Finau Fisi, for his own part, said, that he had no other wish than to coincide in whatever should seem likely to establish the peace and welfare of Ha’afuluhao (the name given to Vava’u and all its neighboring small islands, taken collectively), and that the only method of doing this would be to send all those chiefs, who pretended to have a right to the sovereignty, or who were suspected of such pretensions, away to the Ha’apai Islands. As to his nephew, he said, that there could not well arise any dispute to his right of succession (except on the part of ill disposed chiefs), in as much as he was the late King’s heir, and was well beloved by the Vava’u people, on account of his having been the adopted son of the late Tupouniua, and also because he was born at Vava’u, and brought up there. The Prince agreed with his uncle on the propriety of sending the pretenders to the Ha’apai Islands, particularly Vuna, who was of the line of those chiefs who governed Vava’u before the revolt of Tongatapu; and also Vuki, who was at the head of a strong party of men, and was known to be in the interest of Tupouto’a. The Prince concluded by saying, “But let us wait as quietly as possible, till the burial of my father, and then we shall have a different scene in the affairs of Vava’u. When all promoters of civil discord are banished, the earth shall be cultivated, and shall appear again flourishing; for we have had war enough!”
To which everybody present replied, “Tis all we wish for.”
From the above sentiments of the two chiefs, it will appear to be their intention to confine the new sovereignty to the island of Vava’u, and its neighboring isles, without receiving tribute (unless voluntarily paid, which was not at all likely to be the case), from the Ha’apai Islands, now in possession of Tupouto’a, against whom the Prince had no intention of waging a new war, and shedding more blood for the mere purpose of obliging him to continue that tribute as heretofore.
The conference being ended, the two chiefs turned their attention to the removal of the body of the late Hau to Feletoa to be buried, as there were no fa’itokas at Neiafu but such as belonged to the family of Tu’i Tonga; and it would have been contrary to custom to have buried an individual of the Hau’s family in a grave belonging to that of Tu’i Tonga.
All the chiefs and matapules were now assembled on the mala’e at Neiafu. Among the rest was Vuna, to whom the Prince went up, and intimated the necessity of removing the body of his father to Feletoa. It would have been thought very disrespectful if he had not mentioned this to Vuna before he issued orders respecting it, because Vuna was a very great chief, even greater than Finau himself, and such a reserve on such a public occasion, towards a superior, would have been an act offensive to the gods. It may appear strange that Vuna was a greater chief than the son of the King, yet it is a frequent occurrence, that the King is chosen from a family not of the highest rank, on account of his superior wisdom or military skill, and this was the case with the present royal family; so that the King is often obliged to pay a certain ceremonious respect (hereafter to be noticed), towards many other chiefs (even little children), who are greater nobles than he.
The company were now all seated, habited in mats, waiting for the body of the deceased King to be brought forth. The mourners (who are always women), consisting of the female relations, widows, mistresses, and servants of the deceased, and such other females of some rank, who choose, out of respect, to officiate on such an occasion, were assembled in the house, and seated round the corpse, which still lay out on the bales of ngatu. They were all habited in large, old, ragged mats, the more ragged, the more fit for the occasion, as being more emblematical of a spirit broken down or, as it were, torn to pieces by grief. Their appearance was calculated to excite pity and sorrow in the heart of anyone, whether accustomed or not to such a scene. Their eyes were swollen with the last night’s frequent flood of grief, and still weeping genuine tear of regret; the upper part of their cheeks perfectly black, and swollen so that they could hardly see, with the constant blows they had inflicted on themselves with their fists; and their breasts, also, were equally bruised with their own misplaced and untimely rage.
Among the chiefs and matapules who were seated on the mala’e, all those who were particularly attached to the late King, or to his cause, evinced their sorrow by a conduct, usual, indeed, among these people at the death of a relation, or of a great chief (unless it be that of Tu’i Tonga, or any of his family), but which, to us, may well appear barbarous in the extreme; that is to say, the custom of cutting and wounding themselves with clubs, stones, knives, or sharp shells; one at a time, or two or three together, running into the middle of the circle, formed by the spectators, to give these proofs of their extreme sorrow for the death, and great respect for the memory of their departed friend.
The sentiments expressed by these victims of popular superstition were to the following purpose: “Finau! I know well your mind; you have departed to Pulotu, and left your people under suspicion that I, or some of those about you, were unfaithful; but where is the proof of infidelity! Where is a single instance of disrespect?” Then, inflicting violent blows, and deep cuts in the head with a club, stone, or knife, would again exclaim, at intervals, “Is this not a proof of my fidelity? Does this not evince loyalty and attachment to the memory of the departed warrior?”
Then, perhaps, two or three would run up, and endeavor to seize the same club, saying, with a furious tone of voice, “Behold! the land is torn with strife! It is smitten to pieces! It is split by revolts! How my blood boils! Let us haste and die! I no longer wish to live! Your death, Finau, shall be mine! But why did I wish hitherto to live, it was for you alone! It was in your service and defense, only, that I wished to breathe! But now, alas, the country is ruined! Peace and happiness are at an end! Your death has insured ours! Henceforth war and destruction alone can prosper.” These speeches were accompanied with a wild and frantic agitation of the body, while the parties cut and bruised their heads every two or three words, with the knife or club they held in their hands.
Others, somewhat more calm and moderate in their grief, would parade up and down with rather a wild and agitated step, spinning and whirling the club about, striking themselves with the edge of it two or three times violently upon the top or back of the head, (They understand tolerably well how to avoid the situation of the larger arteries.) and then, suddenly stopping, and looking steadfastly at the instrument, spattered with blood, exclaim, “Alas! my club, who could have said that you would have done this kind office for me, and have enabled me thus to evince a testimony of my respect for Finau! Never, no, never, can you again tear open the brains of his enemies! Alas! what a great and mighty warrior has fallen! Oh! Finau, cease to suspect my loyalty! Be convinced of my fidelity! But what absurdity am I talking! If I had appeared treacherous in your sight, I should have met the fate of those numerous warriors who have fallen victims to your just revenge. Do not think, Finau, that I reproach you; no! I wish only to convince you of my innocence, for who, that has thoughts of harming his chiefs, shall grow white-headed like me?” (An expression made use of by some of the old men). “O cruel gods! to deprive us of our father, or our only hope, for whom alone we wished to live! We have, indeed, other chiefs, but they are only chiefs in rank, and not like you, alas! great and mighty in war”
Such were their sentiments and conduct on this mournful occasion. Some, more violent than others, cut their heads to the skull with such strong and frequent blows, that they caused themselves to reel, producing afterwards a temporary loss of reason. It is difficult to say to what length this extravagance would have been carried, particularly by one old man, if the Prince had not ordered me to go up and take away the club from him, as well as two others that were engaged at the same time. It is customary on such occasions, when a man takes a club from another, to use it himself in the same way about his own head; but I, being a foreigner, was not expected to do this; I therefore went up, and, after some hesitation and struggle, secured the clubs, one after another, and returned with them to my seat, when, after a while, they were taken by others, who used them in like manner.
After these savage expressions of sorrow had been continued for nearly three hours, the Prince, having first signified his intentions to Vuna, for reasons before stated, gave orders that the body of his father should be taken to Feletoa to be buried. In the first place, a bale of ngatu was put on a kind of hurdle, and the body laid on the bale. The Prince then ordered that, as his father was the first who introduced guns in the wars of Tonga, the two carronades should be loaded and fired twice before the procession set out, and twice after it had passed out of the mala’e. The young Prince had now in his possession only two carronades, the other two being at the Ha’apai Islands with Tupouto’a. But then Tupouto’a had only half a barrel of gunpowder, and no iron shot, whereas the Prince had seven or eight barrels, and a considerable number of balls. He gave directions also that the body of Finau’s daughter, lately deceased, should be taken out of the fa’itoka, in the model of a canoe, and carried after the body of her father; that during his life as he wished always to have her body in his neighbourhood, she might now at length be buried with him.
Matters being thus arranged, I loaded the guns, and fired four times with blank cartridges. The procession then went forward; the wives of the deceased and women attendants proceeded first in silent sorrow, next followed the body of Finau, the body of his daughter, the matapules, and lastly the young Prince and his retinue. When the procession had got out of the fortress, (the mala’e, of which we are speaking, being in the middle of the fortress of Neiafu) and had passed the place where the guns were drawn up, I fired two more rounds; then loaded them with canister shot, lighted a match, to keep in readiness in case of need, and ordered the guns to follow the procession, while I went last to see that they were properly drawn. It was not the Prince’s intention to order another salute, but he had previously told me to load them again, not with blank cartridge, but with shot, and to carry a lighted match in my hand, for, “Perhaps,” said he, “we may have need of it.” This, it may be easily seen, was a measure of policy; he ordered them to be fired that he might have a plea for carrying them in the procession along with him, and he ordered them to be loaded a third time, as if they were to be in readiness for another salute at the grave, but in fact for his own safeguard, lest certain chiefs should take the opportunity to revolt.
In the course of two hours we arrived at Feletoa, where the body was laid in a house on the mala’e at some distance from the grave, till another and smaller house could be brought close to it. The body is always placed in a house in front of the fa’itoka during the time the grave is dug. If there be no house near, a small one is immediately brought for the purpose, which, from the construction of their houses, is readily done by the aid of 50 or 60 men. This was done in the course of an hour, the corner posts being taken up, the four pieces which compose the building (a kind of shed in a pyramidal form, the eaves reaching within four feet of the ground) were brought by a sufficient number of men, and put together at the place where it was wanted. This being done, the body was brought on the same hurdle or hand-barrow to the newly erected building, (if it may be so termed) and then being taken off the hurdle it was laid within, on the bale of ngatu, and the house was hung round with black ngatu, reaching from the eaves to the ground.
This black ngatu, or rather ngatu of a dark colour, having a deep brown ground with black stripes, is not chosen on account of its colour, but because it is coarse and common (emblematical of poverty and sadness). They have a kind of ngatu of very superior quality, but of the same colour and pattern, and this is used on occasions of rejoicing.
The women, who were now all assembled and seated round the body, began a most dismal lamentation, similar to that at Neiafu; in the meantime a number of people, whose business it is to prepare graves, were digging the place of interment within the fa’itoka, under the direction of Lauaki, a matapule whose office is to superintend such affairs. Having dug about ten feet, they came to a large stone vault; a rope being then fastened double round one end of the stone, which always remains a little raised for this purpose by means of certain bodies placed underneath; it was by the main strength of 150 or 200 men, pulling at the two ends of the rope, towards the opposite edge of the grave, till it was brought up on end. The body, being oiled with sandalwood oil and then wrapped in Samoan mats, was handed down on a large bale of ngatu into the grave. The bale of ngatu was then, as is customary, taken by the before mentioned matapule as his perquisite. Next, the body of his daughter, in the model of a canoe, was let down in like manner and placed by his side. This grave, which was considered a large one, is capacious enough to hold thirty bodies. Two bodies which I saw there, and which were in a very dry but perfect state, had been buried, as I was told by old men, when they were boys, and consequently must have been there upwards of forty years; while several others, of which nothing remained but the bones, had not been buried so long. This circumstance the natives suppose to be owing to different kinds of constitution, though, in all probability, to the kind or length of disease of which they died.
The great stone was then lowered down with a loud shout. Immediately certain matapules and warriors ran like men frantic round and about the fa’itoka, exclaiming, “Alas! How great is our loss! Finau! you are departed; witness this proof of our love and loyalty!” At the same time they cut and bruised their own heads with clubs, knives, axes, etc.
The whole company now formed themselves into a single line, the women first and afterwards the men, but without any particular order as to rank, and proceeded towards Liku (or the back of the island, as they term it, because there is no opening for large canoes), for the purpose (as customary) of getting a quantity of sand in small baskets, for the use directly to be described. The guns were not however taken in the procession, as the young Prince considered the measure now unnecessary, everything appearing perfectly quiet, for if any party had intended to revolt, they would have done it on their way from Neiafu to the grave, while they had clubs and spears in their possession, and not during the ceremony of burial, before which every man, according to custom, deposits his arms in the neighboring houses. It is true they might afterwards have taken up their arms again and planned mischief, but the Prince, who had always his spies about, neither perceiving nor hearing of any symptoms of disturbance, did not wish to seem fearful of revolt, which would have been the case had he taken the guns with him to the back of the island, and which he could not have done with any plausible pretence, such as he had for carrying them to Feletoa.
In their road to the back of the island they sang loudly the whole way, as a signal to all who might be in the road or adjacent fields to hide themselves as quickly as possible, for it is sacrilegious for anybody to be seen abroad by the procession during this part of the ceremony; and if any man had unfortunately made his appearance, he would undoubtedly have been pursued by one of the party, and soon dispatched with the club. So strictly is this attended to, that nobody recollected a breach of a law so well known. Even if a common man was to be buried, and Finau himself was to be upon the road, or in the neighbourhood of the procession, while going to get sand at the back of the island, he would immediately hide himself; not that they would knock out the King’s brains on such an occasion, but it would be thought sacrilegious and unlucky, the gods of Pulotu being supposed to be present at the time. The chiefs are particularly careful not to infringe upon sacred laws, lest they should set an example of disobedience to the people. The song on this occasion, which is very short, is sung first by the men, and then by the women, and so on alternately, and intimates that the fala [The sand for making a mound over the grave] (which is the name of this part of the ceremony) is coming, and that everybody must get out of the way.
When they arrived at the back of the island, where anybody may be present to see them, and, on this occasion, it was at the part called Mofue, everyone proceeded to make a small basket of the leaves of the coconut tree, holding about two quarts, and to fill it with sand. This being done, each of the men carried two upon a stick across the shoulder, one at each end; while the women only carried one, pressed, in general, against the left hip, or rather upon it, by the hand of the same side, and supported by the hand of the opposite side, brought backwards across the loins, which they consider the easiest mode for women to carry small burdens. This mode, which the women use, is called fafa; that which the men use, as just described, amo; carrying in the hand by the side, takitaki; while the general term for any mode of carrying is fua.
They then proceeded back the same way, and with the same ceremony, to the grave. By this time the grave above the vault was nearly filled with the earth lately dug out, the remaining small space being left to be filled up by the sand, which is always more than enough for this purpose, that the amount, of which the fa’itoka consists, may be strewed in like manner, it being considered a great embellishment to a grave to have it thus covered, and is thought to appear very well from a distance, where the clean sand may be seen on the outside of the fa’itoka. Besides which, it is the custom, and nobody can explain the reason why, which is the case with several of their customs.
This being done, the temporary house is taken to pieces, and thrown behind the fa’itoka in the hole, out of which the earth was originally dug to raise the mount on which the fa’itoka stands. In this hole also are thrown all the baskets in which the sand was brought, as well as the remaining quantity of earth not used in filling up the grave. The ground within the fa’itoka is now covered with mats, similar to what are commonly used in the houses, and which are made of the leaves of the coconut tree. During the whole of this time the company was seated on the green before the fa’itoka, still clothed in mats, and their necks strung with the leaves of the ifi tree. After this they arose and went to their respective habitations, where they shaved their heads, and burnt their cheeks with a small lighted roll of tapa, (Tapa differs from ngatu merely by its not being stamped or imprinted with any pattern.) by applying it once upon each cheek bone; after which, the place was rubbed with the astringent berry of the masi which occasions it to bleed, and with the blood they smeared about the wound, in a circular form, to about two inches in diameter, giving themselves a very unseemly appearance. They repeat this friction with the berry every day, making the wound bleed afresh: and the men; in the meantime, neglect to shave, and to oil themselves during the day; they do, however, at night, for the comfort which this operation affords. After having, in the first place, burnt their cheeks and shaved their heads, they built for themselves small temporary huts, for their own accommodation during the time of mourning, which lasts twenty days. Those whose love for the deceased is very great, or who wish it to be thought so, instead of burning their cheeks in the way mentioned, rub off the cuticle by beating and rubbing their cheeks with plait wound round their hands, made of the husk of the coconut; and this is a most painful operation.
The women; who have become tabooed by touching the dead body, remain constantly in the fa’itoka; except when they want food, for which they retire to one or other of these temporary houses, to be fed as mentioned but they sleep in the fa’itoka. The provisions with which these tabooed women and mourners in general are provided were sent, on this occasion, with bales of ngatu, first to the young Prince, by the different chiefs and matapules; the Prince then ordered the greater part of them to be sent to the tabooed women; and they were accordingly carried and placed on the ground, at some distance from the grave, or else laid down before the temporary house, to which the chief of the tabooed women retires to be fed; and she orders them to be distributed to the different chiefs and matapules, who again share them out in the usual way. The fifth and tenth days of such a ceremony are, however, marked by a greater quantity of provision than ordinary being sent, for which they give no reason but that of custom. On the twentieth day there is also an unusually large quantity sent; and this is by way of finishing the funeral ceremony. With these provisions they also send every day a supply of toume (The toume is a sort of torch.) to light up the fa’itoka during the night. These toumes are held by a woman, who, when fatigued with this office, is relieved by another; those who take the light into their charge are of the lower ranks. They, as well as the others, when not oppressed by sleep, in general spend their time in talking upon indifferent subjects. During these twenty days also, if anyone passes the fa’itoka, he must not proceed in his ordinary careless way, swinging his arms, but with a slow pace, his head bowed down, and his hands clasped before him, if he have no burden; and if he have, he must lower it, (from his shoulder for instance,) and carry it in his hands, or upon his bended arms; but if he can conveniently do it, he will go a circuitous route, to avoid the grave. Here it may be observed, that, on all occasions, when a man with a burden passes a great chief, or the grave of a great chief, particularly if there is anyone near to see him, he lowers his burden out of respect. Every day also, one or more approach, and sit before the grave for two or three hours, beating their faces with their fists, or bruising their heads with clubs, in which latter case they stand up.
Finau’s chief widow, Mo’unga’otupou, every morning attended by her women, cut the grass short before the grave with knives and sharp shells, sweeping away leaves and loose blades with brooms made of the stem of the coconut leaf, They also procured sweet-scented plants, principally the siale, and planted them before the grave.
These are the uniform and essential circumstances which always take place during this part of the ceremony of burying chiefs.