Chapter Sixteen — Religion And Traditions

The Religion of the Tonga Islands rests chiefly upon a belief of the following notions:

1. That there are ‘Otua, gods, or superior beings, who have the power of dispensing good and evil to mankind, according to their merit, but of whose origin they form no idea, rather supposing them to be eternal.

2. That there are other ‘Otua or gods, namely the souls of all deceased nobles and matapules, who have a like power of dispensing good and evil, but in an inferior degree.

3. That there are besides several ‘Otua Pau’u, or mischievous gods, whose attribute is never to dispense good, but petty evils and troubles, not as a punishment, but indiscriminately to whomsoever it may be, from a pure mischievous disposition.

4. That all these superior beings, although they may perhaps have had a beginning, will have no end.

5. That the world also is of doubtful origin, and co-existent with the gods; the solid sky, the heavenly bodies, and the ocean, being pre-existent to the habitable earth, which was afterwards drawn out of the water by the god Tangaloa, while fishing with a line and hook.

6. That mankind, according to a partial tradition, first came from Pulotu, the residence of the gods, an island to the north-westward, and resided at the Tonga Islands, by command of Tangaloa. They consisted of two brothers, with their wives and attendants, whose origin they pretend to know nothing about.

7. That all human evil is inflicted by the gods upon mankind, on account of some neglect of religious duty, either in the person or persons who suffer the inflictions, or in the ‘eiki or chief whom they serve; and the contrary of good.

8. That all ‘eiki or nobles have souls, which exist hereafter in Pulotu, not according to their moral merit, but their rank in this world, and then they have power similar to the original gods, but less. The matapules also go to Pulotu after death, where they exist as matapules or ministers to the gods, but they have not the power of inspiring priests. The mu’a, according to the belief of some, also go to Pulotu, but this is a matter of great doubt. But the tu’a, or lower class of people, have no souls, or such only as dissolve with the body after death, which consequently ends their sentient existence.

9. That the human soul during life is not a distinct essence from the body, but only the more ethereal part of it, and which exists in Pulotu, in the form and likeness of the body, the moment after death.

10. That the primitive gods and deceased nobles sometimes appear (visible) to mankind, to warn or to afford comfort and advice. That the primitive gods also sometimes come into the living bodies of lizards, porpoises, and a species of water snake, hence these animals are much respected; their coming into porpoises is supposed to be for the purpose of taking care of vessels, etc.

11. That the two personages at the Tonga Islands known by the name of Tu’i Tonga and Viasi are descendants in a right line from two chief gods, and that all respect and veneration is therefore due to them.

12. That some persons are favored with the inspiration of the gods, by an actual existence of the god for the time being, in the person. The priest, so inspired, is then capable of prophesying.

13. That human merit or virtue consists chiefly in paying respect to the gods, nobles, and aged persons; in defending one’s hereditary rights; honor, justice, patriotism, friendship, meekness, modesty, fidelity of married women, parental and filial love, observance of all religious ceremonies, patience in suffering, forbearance of temper, etc.

14. That all rewards for virtue or punishments for vice happen to men in this world only, and come immediately from the gods.

15. That several acts acknowledged by all civilized nations as crimes, are under many circumstances considered by them as matters of indifference, such as revenge, killing a servant who has given provocation, or anybody else, provided it be not a very superior chief or noble; rape, provided it be not upon a married woman, or one to whom respect is due, on the score of superior rank, from the perpetrator; theft, except it be consecrated property.

16. Omens are considered direct indications of the gods to mankind. Charms or superstitious ceremonies to bring evil upon anyone are considered for the most part infallible, as being generally effective means to dispose the gods to accord with the curse of evil wish of the malevolent invoker; to perform these charms is considered cowardly and unmanly, but does not constitute a crime.

The Tonga people universally and positively believe in the existence of a large island, lying at a considerable distance to the north-westward of their own islands, which they consider to be the place of residence of their gods, and of the souls of their nobles and matapules. This island is supposed to be much larger than all their own islands put together, to be well stocked with all kinds of useful and ornamental plants, always in a state of high perfection, and always bearing the richest fruits and the most beautiful flowers according to their respective natures; that when these fruits or flowers are plucked, others immediately occupy their place, and that the whole atmosphere is filled with the most delightful fragrance that the imagination can conceive, proceeding from these immortal plants; the island is also well stocked with the most beautiful birds of all imaginable kinds, as well as with abundance of hogs, all of which are immortal, unless they are killed to provide food for the ‘Otua or gods; but the moment a hog or bird is killed, another living hog or bird immediately comes into existence to supply its place, the same as with the fruits and flowers; and this, as far as they know or suppose, is the only mode of propagation of plants and animals. The island of Pulotu is supposed to be so far off as to render it dangerous for their canoes to attempt going there, and it is supposed moreover, that even if they were to succeed in reaching so far, unless it happened to be the particular will of the gods, they would be sure to miss it. They give, however, an account of a Tonga canoe, which, on her return from the Fiji Islands a long time ago, was driven by stress of weather to Pulotu; ignorant of the place where they were, and being much in want of provisions — seeing the country abound in all sorts of fruit — the crew landed, and proceeded to pluck some breadfruit, but to their unspeakable astonishment, they could no more lay hold of it than if it were a shadow; they walked through the trunks of the trees, and passed through the substance of the houses, (which were built like those of Tonga,) without feeling any resistance. They at length saw some of the ‘Otuas, who passed through the substance of their bodies as if there was nothing there. The ‘Otua recommended them to go away immediately, as they had no proper food for them, and promised them a fair wind and a speedy passage. They accordingly put directly to sea, and in two days, sailing with the utmost velocity, they arrived at Samoa, at which place they wanted to touch before they went to Tonga. Having remained at Samoa two or three days, they sailed for Tonga, where they arrived with great speed, but in the course of a few days they all died, not as a punishment for having been at Pulotu, but as a natural consequence; the air of Pulotu, as it were, infecting mortal bodies with speedy death. The ‘Otua are supposed to have no canoes, not requiring them; for if they wish to be any where, there they are the moment the wish is felt.

The ‘Otua, or supernatural intelligent beings, may be divided into classes.

1. The original gods.

2. The souls of nobles, that have all attributes in common with the first, but inferior in degree.

3. The souls of matapules, that are still inferior, and have not the power, as the two first have, of coming back to Tonga to inspire the priests, though they are supposed to have the power or appearing to their relatives.

4. The original attendants, or servants, as it were, of the gods, who, although they had their origin, and have ever since existed in Pulotu, are still inferior to the third class.

5. The ‘Otua Pau’u, or mischievous gods.

6. Maui, or the god that supports the earth, and does not belong to Pulotu.

The first class, or original ‘Otua, are supposed to be rather numerous, perhaps about three hundred; but the names of very few are known, and those only to some of the chiefs and matapules; for it may easily be supposed that, where no written records are kept, only those whose attributes particularly concern the affairs of this world should be much talked of; as to the rest, they are, for the most part, merely tutelar gods to particular private families, and having nothing in their history at all interesting, are scarcely known to anybody else.

Several of these primitive ‘Otua have houses dedicated to them; the houses are built in the usual style, but, generally, somewhat more care is taken, both in building them, and keeping them in good order, decorating their inclosures with flowers, etc. About twenty of the gods have houses thus consecrated to them, some having five or six, others one or two. The following are the name and attributes of the principal gods.

Taliai Tupou. (The literal meaning of this name, from which nothing can be deduced, is: Wait there, Tupou!) He is the patron of the Hau and his family, not of Finau in particular, who is the present King, but of anyone who may be king. He is also god of war, and is consequently always invoked in time of war by the Hau’s party. In time of peace he is also occasionally invoked for the general good of the nation, as well as for the particular interest and welfare of the Hau’s family. He has four houses dedicated to him in the island of Vava’u; two at the small island of Lifuka, one at Ha’ano, one at ‘Uiha and two or three others of smaller importance elsewhere. He has no priest, unless it be the Hau himself, whom he sometimes inspires; but it has happened that a Hau, during his whole reign, has not been inspired.

Tu’ifua Pulotu. The literal meaning of this is, “Chief of all Pulotu.” From this name one would suppose him to be the greatest god in Pulotu, but he is inferior to the one before mentioned; how he came by this name natives themselves can give no account; the only answer they make is, that such is his proper name. Although he is the god of Pulotu, he is inferior to Taliai Tupou, insomuch that they scarcely make a comparison between them; if you ask them whether Tu’ifua Pulotu is a great god, they will answer, “Yes, he is a very great god.”

“Is Taliai Tupou a greater god?”

“Yes, much greater.”

“How great, then, is Taliai Tupou?”

“He is a great chief, from the top of the sky down to the bottom of the earth!”

He is also the god of rank in society, and in this quality he is often invoked by the heads of great families, as the King, and other great nobles, on occasion of sickness, or other family troubles. He has several houses dedicated to him; three or four at Vava’u, one at Lifuka, and a few at other islands. He has three or four priests, whom he occasionally inspires; at least I am acquainted with three or four, but perhaps there are others.

Hikule’o. (meaning unknown) [literally, the trailing end of a person’s voice.]: a very high god, regarded principally by Tu’i Tonga’s family. He has no priest, nor any house, and is supposed never to come to Tonga. The natives are uncertain about his attributes.

Tupou Toutai, literally, Tupou the mariner. He is the patron of Finau’s family, also the god of voyages. In the first quality he is often invoked by Finau. In the second quality he is often invoked by chiefs, going upon any maritime expedition; also by anybody in a canoe during a voyage. He is not the god of wind, but is supposed to have great influence with that god; his chief power is extended to the preservation of canoes from accidents. This god has several houses dedicated to him, chiefly at Vava’u and the contiguous isles. I only knew one priest belonging to him, but he, perhaps, has several. It will be recollected that at the time when Finau’s daughter was so ill, that this priest, when inspired, foretold that either Finau or his daughter must die, as decreed in Pulotu; in consequence, Finau, after his daughter’s death, was so exasperated with his god, Tupou Toutai, for not making arrangements among the gods more favorable to him, that he vowed to kill his priest. This sacrilegious intention was, however, prevented by his own death, which happened as a judgment on him, according to the people’s notions.

Ala’i Valu. (the meaning of this name unknown; Valu, the number eight) [Although valu is in fact the word for the number eight, it also means, tuna fish. Combined with ala’i, which signifies the sense of the possible, ala’i-valu means, “able to catch tuna fish.”]: a god that patronizes the Hau’s family, but is particularly the patron god of Toe’umu, the late King’s aunt. This god is now and then invoked by the King’s family, but very frequently by Toe’umu. He has a large consecrated fencing at Ofu, one of the islands in the vicinity of Vava’u. He has, at least, one priest, and is very frequently consulted in behalf of sick persons.

‘Alo’alo, literally, to fan. [‘Alo’alo is the word, to fan when in the presence of a regal person. ‘Alo is a verb which means for the wind to be at its highest speed. ‘Alo’alo is thus the god of wind and weather.]: God of wind and weather, rain, harvest, and vegetation in general. This god is generally invoked about once a month, if the weather is seasonable, that it may remain so. If the weather is unseasonable, or destructive on shore by excessive wind or rain, he is invoked every day. ‘Alo’alo is not the god of thunder and lightning, of which, indeed, there is no god acknowledged among them, as this phenomenon is never recollected to have done any mischief of consequence. In boisterous weather at sea, the superior god Tupou Toutai, the protector of canoes, and other sea gods, are always invoked in place of ‘Alo’alo. About the time when the yams are full grown (near the latter end of December), the ceremony of tautau begins, consisting in an offering of yams, and other provisions, to the god ‘Alo’alo. This ceremony is repeated every ten days, for eight times successively, as will be described under the head of religious ceremonies. This god has only two houses dedicated to him, one at Vava’u, and the other at Lifuka: he has also two priests, one at each place.

Tu’i Pulotu, literally, chief of Pulotu. This and the three following gods are all minor gods of the sea and of voyages, and protectors of Finau’s family. Notwithstanding his name, he is inferior to all the gods mentioned before him; but much upon an equality with the three following. He has two houses dedicated to him at Vava’u, and one at Lifuka; none elsewhere that I knew of. He has, perhaps, two or three priests.

Hala’api’api, literally, a road crowded. He has the same attributes as Tui Pulotu. I know of no house dedicated to him. He has one priest.

Toki Ukamea, literally, an iron axe. The same attributes as the above. [Ukamea comes from ‘uka, meaning hard; and ‘umea, clay. The term ukamea, hard clay, was applied to iron after it was introduced into Tonga by European ships. Mariner neglects to mention here that this was the name given to him by Finau. Finau had had a son by this name who died young; so when he adopted Mariner, he gave the name to him.

Tupou Puku, literally, Tupou the Short. The same attributes as the above.

Tangalo’a. God of artificers and the arts. Doubtful if he has any house dedicated to him. Has several priests, who are all carpenters. It was this god that brought the Tonga Islands from the bottom of the sea, while fishing.

Mariner gave this god a last and minor place in his list of the Tongan gods. Yet Tangalo’a figures prominently in the myths and legends of the other Polynesian islands. His influence extends all the way to Hawai’i.

Such are the names and attributes of the chief primitive gods; next to those in rank and power come the souls of nobles.

Souls of ‘Eiki, or Nobles: of these there must be a vast number. Their attributes are similar to those of the primitive chief gods, They have the power of inspiring priests, and of appearing in dreams and visions to their relatives and others. They have no houses dedicated to them, but the proper places to invoke them are their graves, which are considered sacred, and are therefore as much respected as consecrated houses. Their names are the same as they had while living, and they hold the same rank mutually among themselves as they held during their mortal existence; and whether their deeds were good or evil during their life, is a circumstance that does not at all affect their state in Pulotu, all punishments for crimes being supposed to be inflicted by the primitive gods upon men during their lifetime; in which inflictions the second class of gods have a proportional power with the first. As many of these souls of nobles have had strong warlike dispositions in this world, it might be supposed that they waged war against one another in Pulotu; but this is not the case; for, in that state of existence, their understanding is much more clear than in this world, enabling them to discern what is right, and disposing them to choose it in preference to what is wrong, Not but what they, and even the primitive gods, have verbal disputes, but which, from the clearness of their intellect, and the justice of their views, are supposed to be managed with divine temperance; but as the temperate discussion of gods may appear awful violence to weak-minded man, so it is not to be wondered that such disputes at Pulotu should produce thunder and lightning at Tonga; as happened in the discussion among the gods respecting the fate of Finau and his daughter.

The Souls of Matapules come next: Of these little need be said; they hold the same name and rank as during their life. They have not the power of inspiring priests; they cannot punish nor reward mankind, at least by any direct influence; though their friends and relatives sometimes beg their intercession with the higher gods, in behalf of their health, or prosperity, etc. They have no houses dedicated to them; they sometimes appear to their friends. Some of them are tutelar gods, and protectors of the tu’as, or lower orders, which they are, as it were, by permission.

The primitive attendants, or servants of the gods: These, like the gods to whom they belong, are original inhabitants of Pulotu. They are considered of less quality than the souls of matapules. They have no power in Tonga, and if they go there they cannot manifest themselves. Their number is supposed to be immense.

The ‘Otua Pau’u, or mischievous gods. Of these there are perhaps several in number, but only five or six are supposed to be particularly active; and from their disposition to plague mankind; they reside more frequently at Tonga than at Pulotu. They are accused of being the cause of all the petty inconveniences and troubles of life. At Samoa they have an idea which is very convenient to the reputation of the females, that some of these ‘Otua Pau’u molest them in their sleep, in consequence of which there are many supernatural conceptions. At Tonga, however, the matter is never carried to that extent. These ‘Otua Pau’u have no priests, have no houses dedicated to them, nor are they ever invoked. All the great misfortunes of life, as has been before noticed, are special inflictions from the gods for the crimes of men. Whereas the mischievous tricks played by the ‘Otua Pau’u are for their own whim and delight; they lead travellers astray, trip them up, pinch them, jump upon their backs in the dark, cause the nightmare and frightful dreams. They are never seen.

Maui. A god that supports the earth, the earth lying on him, he being prostrate. This as may be supposed, is a very gigantic being, greater in personal bulk than any of the others. He never inspires anybody, nor ever leaves his situation. He has no house dedicated to him. When an earthquake happens, it is supposed that this god, feeling himself in an uneasy posture, is endeavoring to turn himself about; and, on such occasions, the people give loud shouts and beat the ground with sticks, which is supposed to have the effect of making him lie still. They have no idea of what he lies on, nor ever make any inquiries about it; and say it would be folly to do so, for who can go there and see?

Maui is an important mythologic figure in most of Polynesia. He is sometimes called, “Maui the Trickster.” His exploits are recited all over Polynesia. One of the Hawai’i Islands is named for this figure.

Such is the account they give of their gods, and the respect which they pay to these imaginary beings is so great and so universal, that scarcely any instance is known of downright impiety; and indeed they have very strong motives to keep them in proper order in this respect, founded in their firm and fixed belief, that all human miseries are the consequent punishment of crimes, and that acts of atrocity are most frequently punished by disease and death; and this risk of premature death among the tu’as in particular must have a frightful aspect, as they consider the termination of life as the termination of their existence altogether. With respect to the chiefs indeed, to whom death is only a change to a better life, this apprehension may not take quite so strong a hold; nevertheless, life is always sweet, there are always some purposes of ambition or enjoyment yet to be satisfied; and when death does come, it is rather to be wished for in the field of battle than prostrate on a mat, overcome with pain and disease, in the midst of one’s friends and relatives weeping and lamenting.

The next subject to speak of, is the origin of the habitable earth, which, according to their notions, vague as they are, is as follows:

It is believed that originally there was no land above the water but the island of Pulotu, which, like the gods, the heavenly bodies, and the ocean, has probably always been. One day Tangaloa, the god of arts and inventions, went forth to fish in the great ocean, and having from the sky let down his hook and line into the sea, on a sudden he felt a great resistance. Believing that he had caught an immense fish, he exerted his strength, and presently there appeared above the surface several points of rocks, which increased in number and extent the more he drew in his line. The rocky bottom of the ocean, in which it was now evident his hook had caught, was thus fast advancing to the surface, so as to have made one vast continent; when unfortunately the line broke, and the islands of Tonga remain to show the imperfection of Tangaloa’s attempt. The rock in which the hook was fixed was already above the surface, and is to be seen to this day in the island of Hunga, where they show the very hole where it caught. The hook was in the possession of the Tu’i Tonga family till about thirty years ago, when it was accidentally burnt along with the house in which it was kept.

If Tangaloa could have pulled another 100 feet, the Tonga Islands would, in truth, have been a large land area. The islands are of group of high points along a large shelf of land that lies just beneath the surface of the ocean.

Tangaloa was the ruler of the sky, and this was the more traditional role for Tangaloa; but he also appears in some of the Polynesian islands as the patron of craftsmen, especially canoe-builders.

A similar myth that the Polynesian islands were fashioned by being “fished up” out of the ocean is prevalent throughout Polynesia.

Tangaloa having thus discovered land, by the divine influence of himself and other gods it was soon replete with all kinds of trees, herbs, and animals, such as were in Pulotu, but of an inferior quality, and subject to decay and death. Being now willing that Tonga should also be inhabited by intelligent beings, he commanded his two sons thus: “Go, and take with you your wives, and dwell in the world at Tonga. Divide the land into two portions, and dwell separately from each other.” They departed accordingly. The name of the eldest was Tupou, and the name of the youngest was Vaka’akau’uli [literally, vaka, boat, ‘akau, a stick to ‘uli, steer] who was an exceeding wise young man; for it was he that first formed axes, and invented beads, and cloth, and looking-glasses. The young man called Tupou acted very differently, being very indolent, sauntering about and sleeping, and envying very much the works of his brother. Tired at length with begging his goods, he bethought himself to kill him, but concealed his wicked intention; he accordingly met his brother walking, and struck him till he was dead. At that time their father came from Pulotu with exceeding great anger, and asked him, “Why have you killed your brother? Could not you work like him? Oh thou wicked one! Begone! Go with my commands to the family of Vaka’akau’uli tell them to come hither.”

Being accordingly come, Tangaloa straightway ordered them thus: “Put your canoes to sea, and sail to the east, to the great land which is there, and take up your abode there. Be your skins white like your minds, for your minds are pure; you shall be wise, making axes, and all riches whatsoever, and shall have large canoes. I will go myself and command the wind to blow from your land to Tonga; but they (the Tonga people), shall not be able to go to you with their bad canoes.”

Tangaloa then spoke thus to the others: “You shall be black, because your minds are bad, and shall be destitute; you shall not be wise in useful things, neither shall you go to the great land of your brothers; how can you go with your bad canoes? But your brothers shall come to Tonga, and trade with you as they please.”

I took particular pains to make inquiries respecting the above extraordinary story, with a view to discover whether it was only a corrupted relation of the Mosaic account; and I found that it was not universally known to the Tonga people. Most of the chiefs and matapule were acquainted with it, but the bulk of the people seemed totally ignorant of it. This led me at first to suspect that the chiefs had obtained the leading facts from some of our modern missionaries, and had interwoven it with their own notions; but the oldest men affirmed their positive belief that it was an ancient traditionary record, and that it was founded in truth. It seems strange that they should believe an account which serves so much to degrade them, and makes even their very chiefs to be descendants of bad men, cursed by their father with the evils of poverty and ignorance. Nevertheless, they readily own the superiority of the Papalangies, not only in knowledge, but disposition to do good; but, on the other hand, they do not as readily confess themselves to lie under a malediction. On the contrary, they maintain that they are far superior to us in personal beauty, and though we have more instruments and riches, they think that they could make a better use of them if they only had them in their possession. Of the chiefs and matapules who related the foregoing account, some believed it firmly, others left it as they found it, none positively disbelieved it. I related to them our scriptural and traditionary account of Cain and Abel, and expressed my opinion, that they must have received their information either from the missionaries, or from some Papalangi at an early period, whom accident had thrown among them; but some still persisted that it was an original tradition of their own, while others owned there was so great a similarity between the two accounts, that they were disposed to believe they had received theirs from us, perhaps two or three or four generations back. But such things do not very often form a subject of conversation among them; consequently their knowledge and belief of these matters (as they have no writings) become very vague, incongruous, and uncertain.

The scriptural account of Cain and Abel that Mariner and the chiefs compared with the Tongan story of the Creation is as follows:

Genesis 4

“The man [Adam] lay with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, ‘With the help of the LORD I have brought a man into being.’ Afterwards she had another child, his brother Abel. Abel was a shepherd and Cain a tiller of the soil. The day came when Cain brought some of the produce of the soil as a gift to the LORD; and Abel brought some of the first-born of his flock, the fat portions of them. The LORD received Abel and his gift with favor; but Cain and his gift he did not receive. Cain was very angry and his face fell. Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you so angry and cast down? If you do well, you are accepted; if not, sin is a demon crouching at the door. It shall be eager for you, and you will be mastered by it.’

“Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let us go into the open country.’ While they were there, Cain attacked his brother Abel and murdered him. Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ Cain answered, ‘I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?’ The LORD said, ‘What have you done? Hark! your brother’s blood that has been shed is crying out to me from the ground. Now you are accursed, and banished from the ground which has opened its mouth wide to receive your brother’s blood, which you have shed. When you till the ground, it will no longer yield you its wealth. You shall be a vagrant and a wanderer on earth.’ Cain said to the LORD, ‘My punishment is heavier than I can bear; thou hast driven me today from the ground, and I must hide myself from thy presence. I shall be a vagrant and a wanderer on earth, and anyone who meets me can kill me.’ The LORD answered him, ‘No: if anyone kills Cain, Cain shall be avenged sevenfold.’ So the LORD put a mark [dark skin, some say] on Cain, in order that anyone meeting him should not kill him. Then Cain went out from the LORD’s presence and settled in the land of Nod to the east of Eden.”

It is true that the wind in Tonga blew mainly from the east and Tongans could not, and did not, sail far in that direction.

The author is inclined to agree with Mariner and the Tongan chiefs that the Tongan story of creation had features about it suggesting that parts of it may have been picked up from the missionaries who preceded Mariner to these islands. It seems to reflect the attitudes that the first missionaries may have had toward the darker skinned people of Tonga. It was not an uncommon notion that the dark skin was the ‘mark of Cain.’

The interweaving of such mythical accounts makes the task of determining the true, original traditions of a culture a difficult one indeed.

They have several other accounts of the origin of mankind, or rather of the first inhabitants of Tonga; but most of them are not only ridiculous but very confused and indeterminate; and, I believe, many are of no greater antiquity than the present generation, and invented perhaps for the purpose of passing away time for lack of better conversation, most of the natives being very fond of inventing tales for amusement, like the continental nations west of them, but very void of the poetic elegance of those nations. The account that is more universally known and believed, which is the least inconsistent with their general notions, and probably the most ancient, is the following:

“At a time when the islands of Tonga were already existing, but not yet peopled with intelligent beings, some of the minor gods of Pulotu being desirous to see the new world (which Tangaloa had fished up), put to sea about two hundred in number, male and female, in a large canoe, and arrived at the island of Tonga. They were so well pleased with the novelty of the place that they determined to remain there, and accordingly broke up their canoe to make small ones of it; but in a few days two or three of them died. This phenomenon alarmed all the rest, for decay and death was what their notion of their own immortality did not lead them to expect. About this time one of them felt himself strangely affected, and by this he knew that one of the superior gods was coming from Pulotu to inspire him; in a little time he was actually inspired, and was told that the chief gods had decreed, that as they had come to Tonga, and had breathed the air of the place, and had fed upon the produce of the place, they should become mortal, and people the world with mortal beings, and all about them should be me’a maama (things of this world, mortal) subject to decay and death, in contradistinction to mea ‘otua, things of the other world (Pulotu), or land of ‘Otua, immortal, and always flourishing.

“Upon this they were all exceedingly grieved, and were sorry they had broken up their canoe, but they made another, and some of them put to sea with the hope of regaining the island of Pulotu; in which endeavor, if they succeeded, they were to come back and fetch their companions; but they looked in vain for the land of the gods, and were obliged to return sorely afflicted to Tonga.”

In the above story there is a little inconsistency in respect to the gods coming from Pulotu in a canoe; for the gods are generally understood to have no canoes, not requiring them; for the moment they wish to be anywhere, their wish is accomplished without any further trouble, which is a mode of conveyance far superior to any of our inventions, either ancient or modern.

The Tonga people have also a story among them respecting an island of immortal women existing somewhere to the northwest of Fiji; but this is suspected to be rather a Fiji tale than a tradition of their own, and consequently is not much believed among them. These immortal women are considered to be ‘Otua; but they are thought to have all the passions and propensities properly belonging to women of this world, in so much that it is dangerous for canoes to put in there; not that the crew would be positively ill-treated by these fair goddesses, but too much kindness sometimes destroys as effectually, though perhaps not so quickly, as too much severity. It is reported that a Fiji canoe was once driven there by a gale of wind. The men landed, and were charmed with the truly kind reception they met with; but in a day or two, finding the climate much too warm for their constitution, they wisely betook themselves again to their canoe, and with some difficulty reached the Fiji Islands, bringing sundry marvellous accounts of the nature of the country, and the reception they met with. This story is prevalent, not only at Tonga and Fiji, but also at Samoa. Some of the Fiji people believe it; the Samoa people doubt it very much; and the Tonga people deny it altogether.

The Tongan, or perhaps Fijian, myth about the island of seductive, immortal women resembles the Greek myths of the Amazon women or the story of the island Aiaie where Ulysses was blown in a storm and was taken in by the enchantress Circe and her hand-maidens. Myths such as these perhaps stem from the male’s unconscious fear of an overly powerful or overly sexual female, and, at the same time, a wish for an all-enveloping sexual experience. It is remarkable that cultures so far apart as Greek and Fiji should have similar notions.

The natives of the Tonga islands have a traditionary story respecting the origin of turtles; and as we are here discoursing about their notions of the world, which in some measure involves their knowledge of natural history, it ought properly to be told in this place.

“A considerable time after the existence of mankind at Tonga, a certain god, who lived in the sky, and whose name was Langi, received a command from the superior gods of Pulotu to attend a grand conference, shortly to be held at the latter place, on some point of universal importance. Now it happened that the god Langi had several children; among others, two daughters, beautiful young goddesses, who were of an age in which vanity and the desire to be admired was beginning to be a very strong passion, and consequently they had often expressed their wish to see the islands of Tonga, and to visit the people that dwelt there; but their father was too wise readily to give his consent. Business of importance, however, now demanded his absence from the sky; but being fearful that his unexperienced daughters might in the meantime descend to Tonga, he gave them the strictest commands not to leave their celestial residence till his return; and as a motive for their obedience, he promised to conduct them, when he came back, to Tonga, and gratify their wish with safety to themselves. With a view to strengthen his injunctions, and better to ensure their compliance, he represented in lively colors the many dangers they would subject themselves to, by infringing upon his commands. In the first place, he told them that the ‘Otua Pau’u (mischievous gods), who resided at Tonga, would take every opportunity to molest them, and to throw difficulties and dangers in their way. Besides which, there were other evils of greater consequence to fear; for they were so beautiful (he told them), that the men of Tonga would furiously fight among themselves to obtain them for their wives, and that these quarrels occasioned by them would, no doubt, offend the superior gods of Pulotu, and he (Langi) should thereby get into disgrace. The two goddesses having promised obedience to their father’s orders, he descended with speed to Pulotu. He had scarcely left the sky, when they began to reason together on what he had told them. One said to the other, ‘Our father has only promised to take us to Tonga to keep us here till he comes back; for has he not often promised us the same thing and never fulfilled word?’

“‘True!’ said the other, ‘Let us go to Tonga by ourselves for a little time, just to look at the mama [human] people, and we will return before he shall know anything of it; besides,’ (said both of them together) ‘has he not told us that we are more beautiful than the women of Tonga? Yes! let us go immediately to Tonga and be admired, for in the sky there are many other goddesses nearly as beautiful as ourselves, and we are scarcely noticed.

“Upon this they descended together to the island of Tonga, and, having alighted in a lonely place, they walked towards the mu’a, discoursing as they went on the homage that was soon to be paid to their charms. When they arrived at the mu’a, they found the king and all his chiefs and principal people engaged in some grand ceremony of rejoicing, and were then drinking their kava. The moment they arrived all eyes were turned upon them, and all hearts, except those that envied, were filled with admiration and love.”

[It is not the least remarkable trait in the character of the Tonga people, that on almost all occasions they show very marked attention to females; and I believe that among all the different clusters of islands in the South Seas, the natives of these are singular in this respect. The women of Tonga are not obliged to labour to procure the necessaries of life for their idle husbands. The men work; the women do chiefly those offices that are requisite for domestic comfort, and for the promotion of health and cleanliness.]

“The young chiefs vied with each other in showing the young goddesses the most signal attentions; they already began to be jealous of each other; they left off drinking kava, and the whole assembly was put in confusion. At length the young men began to quarrel among themselves, but the king, to settle all disputes, by virtue of his superior power took them home to his own residence. The sun had scarcely set, however, before certain chiefs, with a strong armed force, rescued them from the king’s house. The whole island was soon in a state of confusion and alarm, and early the following morning a bloody war was commenced. In the meantime, the gods of Pulotu heard what was going forward at Tonga, and they immediately with great indignation charged poor Langi with being the cause of these disturbances. Langi said in his defense, that he had ordered his daughters to remain at home, but unfortunately they were disobedient children. He immediately left the synod of gods, and flew with all speed to Tonga, where he found that one of his daughters, by having eaten of the productions of the place, had deprived herself of immortality, and was already dead. The loss of his daughter enraged him to the utmost extreme; he sought for the other, and, seizing her by the hair, he severed her head from her body. The head he threw into the sea, and flew, with rage and disappointment, back to the sky. The head in a short time turned into a turtle, and was the origin and source of all the turtle now found in the world.”

This story obtains almost universal credit at the Tonga islands; in consequence, turtles are considered as almost a prohibited food, at least very few will venture to eat them without first offering a portion to some god, or sending some to any chief that may be at hand. There are many that will not eat turtle on any account, being fearful of its producing enlarged livers, or some such visceral complaint. It is not supposed, however, to be so likely to have a bad effect upon great chiefs, as they approach so near in rank and character to the gods themselves.

Such are their principal notions respecting the origin of things. As to the first formation of the solid sky (as they deem it), or the island of Pulotu, or the gods themselves, they pretend to form no idea, and never think of agitating the question, whether they are eternal, or whether they had a beginning, deeming all such speculations as vain and fruitless; for who, say they, can remember, or who has been there to see? They have no legends or tales that seem to resemble those of the Society islands, as related by Captain Cook.

Respecting the earth, their notion is, that it has a flat surface, ending abruptly, which the sky overarches. If you ask them why the sea does not run over, the answer will be, “How can I tell? I have never been there to see; there are rocks, or something to border it, probably.” With regard to the sun and moon, they pass through the sky, and come back some way, they know not how. As to the spots in the moon, they are compared to the figure of a woman sitting down and beating ngatu. When the moon is eclipsed, they attribute the phenomenon to a thick cloud passing over it; the same with the sun.

Respecting the human soul, in particular, they imagine it to be the finer or more aeriform part of the body, and which leaves it suddenly at the moment of death; and it may be conceived to stand much in the same relation to the body as the perfume and more essential qualities of a flower do to the more solid substance which constitutes the vegetable fibre. They have no proper word to express this fine ethereal part of man. As to the word ‘loto,’ though it may be sometimes used for this purpose, yet it rather means a man’s disposition, inclination, passion, or sentiment. The soul is rather supposed to exist throughout the whole extension of the body, but particularly in the heart, the pulsation of which is the strength and power of the soul or mind. They have no clear distinction between the life and the soul, but they will tell you that the loto manava (the right auricle of the heart) is the seat of life. They form no idea respecting the use of the brain, unless it be, perhaps, the seat of memory. They have a distinct word for memory, manatu. They derive this notion from the natural action of putting the hand to the forehead, or striking the head gently when trying to remember anything. The liver they consider to be the seat of courage, and they pretend to have remarked (on opening dead bodies), that the largest livers (not diseased), belong to the bravest men. They also say they have made another observation respecting this viscus, namely that, in left-handed people, it is situated more on the left than on the right side; and, in persons that are ambidextrous, it is placed as much on one side as on the other. They are very well acquainted with the situation of all the principal viscera.

They acknowledge that the tu’as, or lower order of people, have minds or souls; but they firmly believe that their souls die with their bodies, and, consequently, have no future existence. The generality of the tu’as, themselves, are of this opinion, but there are some that have the vanity to think they have immortal souls as well as matapules and chiefs, and which will live hereafter in Pulotu. There seems to be a wide difference between the opinions of the natives in the different clusters of the South Sea islands respecting the future existence of the soul. While the Tonga doctrine limits immortality to chiefs, matapules, and, at most, to mu’a, the Fiji doctrine, with abundant liberality, extends it to all mankind, to all brute animals, to all vegetables, and even to stones and mineral substances. If an animal or a plant die, its soul immediately goes to Pulotu; if a stone or any other substance is broken, immortality is equally its reward; nay, artificial bodies have equal good luck with men, and hogs, and yams. If an axe or a chisel is worn out or broken up, away flies its soul for the service of the gods. If a house is taken down, or any way destroyed, its immortal part will find a situation on the plains of Pulotu. To confirm this doctrine, the Fiji people can show you a sort of natural well, or deep hole in the ground, at one of their islands, across the bottom of which runs a stream of water, in which you may clearly perceive the souls of men and women, beasts and plants, of stocks and stones, canoes, and houses, and of all the broken utensils of this frail world, swimming, or rather tumbling along one over the other pell-mell into the regions of immortality. Such is the Fiji philosophy, but the Tonga people deny it, unwilling to think that the residence of the gods should be encumbered with so much useless rubbish. The natives of Tahiti entertain similar notions respecting these things, namely that brutes, plants, and stones, exist hereafter; but Captain Cook does not mentioned that they extend the idea to objects of human invention. I am not acquainted with the notions of the Hawaiian islanders upon these subjects. What I have related respecting those of the Fiji people I obtained from Fiji natives resident at Vava’u, from Tonga people who had visited the Fiji Islands, and from the natives of Bau, when I was there.

The human soul, after its separation from the body, is termed a ‘otua (a god or spirit), and is believed to exist in the shape of the body; to have the same propensities as during life, but to be corrected by a more enlightened understanding, by which it readily distinguishes good from evil, truth from falsehood, right from wrong; having the same attributes as the original gods, but in a minor degree, and having its dwelling for ever in the happy regions of Pulotu, holding the same rank in regard to other souls as during this life. It has, however, the power of returning to Tonga to inspire priests, relations, or others, or to appear in dreams to those it wishes to admonish; and sometimes to the external eye in the form of a ghost or apparition. This power of re-appearance at Tonga only belongs to the souls of chiefs, not of matapules. It has already been stated, that the gods are believed sometimes to enter into the bodies of lizards, porpoises and water snakes; but this power belongs only to the original gods, not to the souls of chiefs.

There is no future place of existence for the souls of men but Pulotu, and, consequently, no state of future punishment; all rewards for virtue, and punishments for vice, being inflicted on mankind in this world, as before noticed.

The two divine personages, namely, Tu’i Tonga and Viasi, or those who are supposed to be peculiarly of high divine origin, have already been spoken of as far as their rank in concerned. In respect to their habits, we might very naturally imagine that, in consequence of their high rank as divine chiefs, they would very frequently be inspired by the gods, and become the oracles of the divine will; but this, as far as I have seen and heard, has never been the case; and it seems strange that the favor of divine inspiration should be particularly bestowed upon men seldom higher in rank than a matapule. Such, however, is the case, and, to reconcile it with propriety, we may suppose that Tu’i Tonga and Viasi are supposed to be of too high a rank to be the mere servants of the gods, and mere instruments of communication between them and mankind, but rather are the highest and most worthy of mankind, and next to the gods in rank and dignity. These two persons, however high in rank, have very little comparative power, though it is suspected that, formerly, when the Tonga people were a peaceable nation, and more attention was paid to religious rites and institutions, that they had a vast deal more influence than they have had of late years. They now very seldom meddle with political matters, though I once witnessed an instance where Tu’i Tonga ventured to advise Finau (the late King), respecting his warlike proceedings against Vava’u, at the time when his aunt, Toe’umu, revolted. For this purpose he went into the house on a mala’e, and sent a messenger to the King to say that he was there; which is a polite mode of telling a person you want him to come, that you may speak to him. He did not go to the King’s house in person to communicate what he had to say, because, being the superior chief, everything would have been tabooed that he happened to touch. When the King arrived, Tu’i Tonga mildly addressed him on the subject of his aunt’s revolt, and advised that he should endeavor to accommodate matters rather than involve the country in war: to which the King shortly replied, “Ho ‘Eiki Tu’i Tonga” (Thy Lord Tu’i Tonga) “may return to his own part of the island, and content himself in peace and security; matters of war are my concern, and in which he has no right to interfere” He then left him. The title, ‘Ho ‘Eiki,’ is never used but in addressing a superior chief, or speaking of a god; or in a public speech. Thus, in all respects, we are to regard Tu’i Tonga as a divine chief of the highest rank, but having no power or authority in affairs belonging to the King.

It is presumed, however, that when the Tonga Islands were in a state of peace, that is, before the people had acquired their warlike habits, that Tu’i Tonga, as well as Viasi, had some influence even in matters of civil government, that their advice was often asked; and sometimes taken. Viasi used often to lament to me that those happy days have passed away when they used to live in peace and happiness at the island of Tonga, when everybody paid the highest respect to the divine chiefs, and there were no disturbances to fear, the land was well cultivated, and frequent rich presents were made to them. Others made the same complaint. In short, it would appear that the very ancient complaint, tempora mutantur, the almost universal cry of dissatisfaction, is heard at the Tonga islands as well as elsewhere; but the distant prospect generally appears more beautiful than the place whereon we stand. In all probability, Tu’i Tonga and Viasi had great reason to complain, particularly Tu’i Tonga, respect towards whom was evidently falling off even in my time; for, formerly, it was thought necessary, when Tu’i Tonga died, that his chief wife should be strangled and buried with him, but, in respect to the two last Tu’i Tongas, this was not performed. Again, the late King would not allow Tu’i Tonga to give him any advice in matters of war, but insisted that he should remain in peace and quietness at his own side of the island. Lastly, the present King, when the late Tu’i Tonga died, would not allow his son to succeed to that high title, but, at one bold stroke, freed the people from a vast burden of taxes, by annulling the title of Tu’i Tonga, and the expensive ceremony of ‘Inasi, with a view, also, to do away with the necessity of any communication with the Ha’apai people. Viasi, being a sensible, good, quiet sort of man, who interfered in no public matters, and who had nothing to do with the people of other islands but his own, (Tungua) [A small island in the the Lulunga group, lying between Ha’apai and Nomuka] was still suffered to retain his dignity, and probably does to this day; and, in that case, is the greatest chief at the Tonga islands, for the late Tu’i Tonga’s son, if he has not been since made a Tu’i Tonga, is below Viasi in rank. Thus it appears that the Tonga Islands are undergoing a considerable change, both in respect to religion and politics; and if the communication between Vava’u and the Ha’apai islands, and between both places and Tongatapu, shall remain closed for a number of years, it will be a curious inquiry, to investigate what changes the language will undergo in those respective places.

In regard to the priests, their habits are precisely the same as other persons of the same rank; and, when they are not inspired, all the respect that is paid to them is that only which is due to their private rank. I recall no chief that was a priest. I have, indeed, seen the King inspired by Taliai Tupou (who never inspires anybody but the King), but he is not strictly considered a priest on this account; those only, in general, being considered priests who are in the frequent habit of being inspired by some particular god. It most frequently happens that the eldest son of a priest, after his father’s death, becomes a priest of the same god who inspired his father. When a priest is inspired, he is thought capable of prophesying, or, rather, the god within him is said sometimes to prophesy; these prophecies generally come true, for they are mostly made on the probable side of a question, and when they do not come to pass as expected, the priest is not blamed, but it is supposed the gods for some wise purpose have deceived them; or that the gods, for ought they know, have since changed their mind, and ordered matters otherwise; or that the god who inspired the priests spoke prematurely, without consulting the other gods.

At the Hawai’i Islands the priests appear to be a distinct order or body of men, living for the most part together, holding occasional conferences, and at all times respected by the body of the people; whereas, at the Tonga Islands the priests live indiscriminately with the rest of the natives, are not respected on the score of their being priests, unless when actually inspired, and hold no known conferences together, as an allied body. I frequently associated with them, watched their general conduct, and inquired the opinion of all classes of the natives respecting them; and, after all, have no reason to think that they combine together for the purpose of deceiving the people. I found nothing that I conceived very remarkable in their general character. If there was any difference between them and the rest of the natives, it was that they were rather more given to reflection, and somewhat more taciturn, and probably greater observers of what was going forward. They have no peculiarity of dress to distinguish them. The most remarkable of their prophecies, if they deserve that name, are those I mentioned earlier. The priests associate with the chiefs as much as other matapules and mu’as; and, although Tu’i Tonga and Viasi are considered divine chiefs, still they have no more to do with the priests, nor are they any otherwise connected with them, nor related to them, than are other chiefs.

Having thus far given a general view of the religious opinions of the Tonga people, and an account of the habits of their divine chiefs and priests, I shall proceed to unfold, with as much accuracy and impartiality as possible, their notions and habits of morality; and in another chapter conclude the subjects connected with religion, by a detail of their religious ceremonies.

Moral virtue will appear to have a very slender foundation in these islands, when we consider that the natives believe in no future place of reward, but what a man will equally possess, whether he lives virtuously or not, and that they have no idea of a future state of punishment of any kind or degree whatsoever; and our opinion of their notions of moral virtue will not be much exalted, when, on a strict examination of their language, we discover no words essentially expressive of some of the higher qualities of human merit: as virtue, justice, humanity; nor of the contrary, as vice, injustice, cruelty, etc. They have indeed expressions for these ideas, but they are equally applicable to other things. To express a virtuous or good man, they would say, “tangata lelei,” a good man, or “tangata loto lelei,” a man with a good mind; but the word, lelei, good (unlike our word virtuous), is equally applicable to an axe, canoe, or anything else. Again, they have no word to express humanity, mercy, etc. but ‘ofa, which rather means friendship, and is a word of cordial salutation. Neither have they any word expressive of chastity, except nofo ma’u, remaining fixed or faithful, and which in this sense is only applied to a married woman, to signify her fidelity to her husband; but in another sense it is applicable to a warrior, to signify his loyalty and attachment to his chief. Furthermore, when we learn that theft, revenge, rape, and murder, under many circumstances, are not held to be crimes, we shall be tempted to exclaim, how miserable are these wretched people! The virtues have left their abode, and they are given up a prey to every evil passion! The picture is indeed dark, but I must throw a little more light upon it, and approach to take a nearer view.

The Tonga people do not indeed believe in any future state of rewards and punishment, but they believe in that first of all religious tenets, that there is a power and intelligence superior to all that is human, which is able to control their actions, and which discovers all their most secret thoughts; and though they consider this power and intelligence to be inherent in a number of individual beings, the principle of belief is precisely the same; it is perhaps equally strong, and as practically useful as if they considered it all concentrated in their chief god. They firmly believe that the gods approve of virtue, and are displeased with vice; that every man has his tutelar deity, who will protect him as long as he conducts himself as he ought to do; but, if he does not, will leave him to the approaches of misfortune, disease, and death. And here we find some ground on which to establish a virtuous line of conduct. But this is not sufficient. There is implanted in the human breast, a knowledge or sentiment which enables us sometimes, if not always, to distinguish between the beauty of disinterestedness and the foul ugliness of what is low, sordid, and selfish; and the effect of this sentiment is one of the strongest marks of character in the natives of these islands. Many of the chiefs, on being asked by me what motives they had for conducting themselves with propriety, besides the fear of misfortunes in this life, replied, “The agreeable and happy feeling which a man experiences within himself when he does any good action, or conducts himself nobly and generously, as a man ought to do.” This question they answered as if they wondered such a question should be asked. After this, we cannot but suppose (unless we are led by prejudice), that the seeds of very great virtues are implanted in their breasts; and it would be very unreasonable to imagine that there are not many of the natives in whom these seeds germinate, grow up, and flourish to a very great extent; and if so, they cannot but be universally approved of and admired. If we wish for an example of these sentiments, we have one in the character of the noble Tupouniua, who lived as a great chief ought to do, and died like a good man. It is true he killed Tuku’aho; but a native would observe, that in doing it he freed Tonga from the dominion of an oppressive and cruel tyrant. After that period he remained a faithful tributary chief to his brother the King; and when he was told that his brother was concerned in plotting his assassination, and that it would be better for him always to go armed, his disinterested reply was, that if his life was of no use to the King he was ready to die, and that he would not arm himself against him as long as the country was well governed! He afterwards associated with his secret enemies without arms and when the first unkind blow was given, his only exclamation was addressed pathetically to his brother, thus, “Oh, Finau, am I to be killed?” He said no more, but instinctively parrying off the blows with his arms till they were both broken, he received them on his head, and fell a prostrate victim to the malice of his enemies.

We have another noble instance of disinterestedness and generosity in the person of Hala’api’api in his liberal conduct towards his friend Talo. He said afterwards that he knew very well that Talo was no coward, but that a little petulance or disappointed vanity had occasioned him to make the first false step, of which he was afterwards so ashamed, and was so confused that he had not the proper use of his judgment; and that he (Hala’api’api), knowing what must be the wounded state of his feelings, pitied his situation, and immediately sought a reconciliation. Hala’api’api indeed, in the fiery wildness of his disposition, often committed excesses; but his general character rendered him universally beloved. He was generous perhaps in the extreme; he was endowed with a certain share of wisdom. He knew well what was right, and, what is still better, he practiced it. I have given here but two glowing instances of liberal sentiment; but we must reflect that they were universally admired. Accordingly, the principle on which they were admired must of course be universally felt; and it would be strange indeed, if the fruits of such sentiments were shown only in a few solitary instances. The attentive reader will have discovered others; but if it be necessary to give another, I beg to cite one of a nature different from either of the above.

Not long after Mariner left the islands, the respected Hala’api’api killed Mariner’s other Tongan friend, Finau Fisi.

The instance alluded to is where I with four Indian warriors, was flying from a large party of the enemy, when on a sudden I fell into a deep hole. My fate now seemed certain, the enemy would have gloried in killing me, for they had not forgotten the guns; but my four faithful companions exclaimed, “Let us stop for the Papalangi!” Three defended the ground with their clubs, while one helped me out, and one of the three was killed in that act of defense. These four men might have run off without risking their lives, but they were possessed of better sentiments — “Let us stop for the Papalangi!”— they did stop, and they saved me.

Their high admiration of what is generous and liberal in sentiment and conduct, is very well borne out by many of their most established customs and practices. The general conduct of chiefs and others towards one another seems to turn upon this principle of liberality. If one chief sees something in the possession of another which he has a strong desire to have, he has only to ask him for it, and in all probability it is readily and liberally given. The very tributes which the chiefs receive from inferiors come as much as possible in the form of presents. Foreigners are exempted from all tributes, except those that are for the purpose of religious ceremonies, even though they occupy considerable plantations at Tonga. They also readily excuse foreigners for not according with their customs, or not paying respect to their gods; because, say they, “They have gods of their own, and are not governed by our divinities.”

I must not deny but what these presents are frequently occasioned by fear; but still they are not demanded; they love to consider them as presents, and this sufficiently demonstrates the universal admiration of the sentiment of liberality. There are no officers appointed to see that the people pay their due quantity.

When anyone is about to eat, he always shares out what he has to those about him, without any hesitation, and a contrary conduct would be considered exceedingly vile and selfish. At meals strangers or foreigners are always shown a preference, and females are helped before men of the same rank, because they are the weaker sex and require attention. A number of such instances might be given if necessary, but these, it is presumed, are sufficient to demonstrate that the people of the Tonga islands are not only not selfish, but admire liberality, and are practically liberal.

In such a kind of mind as we have been describing, we may readily suppose that the sentiments of veneration and respect are felt to a considerable degree; and, accordingly, every mark of such sentiments is shown to the gods, to chiefs, and aged persons. Actual impiety is little known among them. Finau (the late King), was, indeed, an impious character in many respects, but we have already seen how much the people wondered at his success. The same King was one day prevented from going out upon an expedition against the enemy, by one of his chiefs happening to sneeze, which is considered a bad omen. Finau, on a sudden, greatly exasperated, with raised arms and clenched fists, exclaimed, in a loud voice, “Crowd, all ye gods, to the protection of these people, nevertheless I will wreak my vengeance on them tenfold!” But this impious exclamation was heard with horror by everybody. There is no necessity to dwell upon the respect that is universally paid to chiefs, for it forms the stable basis of their government; and, of course, cannot be allowed to be infringed upon. It is, in short, a superior sacred duty, the non-fulfilment of which it is supposed the gods would punish almost as severely as disrespect to themselves. The great veneration which they pay to aged persons is a very amiable trait in their character; and, though it is now kept up by old habit and custom, it must, no doubt, have arisen in the beginning from notions which would do honor to the most civilized people; for it is not only to those who are old, both in years and wisdom, that such respect is paid, but every aged man and aged woman enjoys the attentions and services of the younger branches of society. Great love and respect for parents is another prominent mark of their character; and, indeed, it must be so, as it arises out of a two-fold motive. They pay respect on the score of parentage, and on that of superior chiefship or rank. Every chief also pays the greatest respect towards his eldest sister, which respect he shows in an odd way, but it is according to custom, namely by never entering into the house where she resides; but upon what exact principle, except custom, I did not not satisfactorily learn.

The same principle of love and respect for parents and superiors engages every man to secure and defend his hereditary rights as another point of religious duty, and in honor to the memory of his ancestors, from whom he received them. By a further extension of the same sentiment, he loves the island on which he was born, in particular, and all the Tonga Islands generally, as being one country, and speaking one language. But the amour patrices, in the more extended sense, cannot be supposed to prevail in a very high degree, for, having no wars with foreigners, the opportunities for the excitement and growth of this passion are not very frequent; nevertheless, in the history of the war at Vava’u, we shall discover proofs of the existence of this noble sentiment, as well as in the life of Tupouniua, and in the death of the late King, who lamented that he left the country in a critical situation. The present King, and his uncle Finau Fisi, were, no doubt, patriots in the best sense of the word.

Honor is another principle upon which we must speak; but, in regard to which, it is difficult to give the just character of the Tonga people. That they are honorable, in many respects, there can be no doubt; and that, in other respects, they do things which are, seemingly, at least, very dishonorable, there can be as little question. It was agreeable to every generous and honorable sentiment in Teukava’s men to help me out of the ditch at the peril of their own lives; or in my four companions, to save me at the same risk. It was honorable in the late King, who was a very passionate man, and expected to be obeyed, to receive in good part, and readily to excuse, my refusal, on many occasions, to conform to orders that were not consistent with my principles. It was honorable in the Vava’u people to have so much respect for the memory of their late chief, Tupouniua, as to resent his wrongs by their steady and determined conduct in regard to his murderers. The behaviour of Toe’umu and her sister on this occasion is not unworthy of admiration. Finau Fisi, on the death of his brother, might easily have made himself King, for his party was exceedingly powerful, and heartily wished him to take the supreme command, but he was a man of too much honor to rob his nephew of his right. If a man goes to another island, the chief of which, during his visit, makes war with all the island from which he comes, he is bound in honor to side with the chief on whose island he is; and this point of honor, except on extraordinary occasions, is faithfully kept. Finau Fisi was at Vava’u when his brother, the King, waged war with that island, and, honor binding him, he remained in the service of Toe’umu, directing his hostilities chiefly against Tupouto’a, and those men who were the actual assassinators of Tupouniua. These different instances (and many others might be mentioned), are not only, to a certain degree, honorable in themselves, but are universally considered so by the natives. Thus we must not deny that they feel the principle of honor, and practice it to a certain extent. Then what shall we say on the other side of the question? How can we excuse the capture of the Port au Prince, and the atrocious circumstances attending it — the assassination of Tupouniua — the treachery of Tarky, [This name is not found in modern Tonga, perhaps it was Takai.] chief of the garrison of Pea? But what stands forward both prominent and glaring, and the truth of which their own confession establishes, is, the serious design they entertained of assassinating Captain Cook and his officers at Lifuka, the 18th of May 1777, and putting to death their acknowledged great and good benefactor!

If we were to measure their conduct by the notions of virtue, honor, and humanity received among enlightened nations, we should do them great wrong, and forfeit our own titles to the epithet of just and honorable. We shall therefore endeavor to ascertain in what their notions of honor consist, and judge them upon their own principles. Their ideas of honor and justice do not very much differ from ours except in degree, they considering some things more honorable than we should, and others much less so. They have one principle which to a greater or less extent is universally held among them, which is, that it is every man’s duty to obey the orders of his superior chief in all instances, good or bad, unless it be to fight against a chief still superior; and even in this case it would not be actually dishonorable. If a chief, therefore, designs to assassinate another, it is the duty of his men to assist him to the utmost of their power, whether they think it right or not. If two or three combine together to take a ship, they may depend upon their men’s readiness, as a point of duty, to execute their intentions; and if they are ordered to kill every man on board, they will most assuredly do it if they possible can. If they are desired to save every man’s life, they will equally obey the order, by merely endeavoring to secure them, though perhaps at the risk of their own lives. Thus the crime of one man will appear to us Europeans to be extended to two or three hundred, although these perhaps may be only the unwilling instruments, obedient because it is their duty to be so. Let the matter rest here for a moment, while we endeavor to examine the degree of crime of which the chief is guilty, who is at the head of the conspiracy. In the first place, his own opinion, and that of his countrymen is, that it is no crime at all, that is to say, it is not what the gods will punish him for. He will however candidly acknowledge it to be wrong; he will say, he took the ship because Tonga, being a poor country, was in want of many useful things, which he supposed were in great plenty on board, and that he killed the crew that he might better effect his object. Taking the ship he will call an act of ungenerous oppression. Killing the men an act of harshness; but he will add, “How could it be helped? We would have saved the men if we could, but we did not dare to do it, for our own safety.”

Addressing himself to me, “We might also have killed you and your surviving companions, as we were advised, lest the next ship hearing from you what had been done, might take revenge; but we have so good an opinion of the clemency and humanity (‘ofa) of the Papalangies, that we trust they will not take revenge. We will therefore treat you well and abide by the result.”

Such are their notions of the crime (or fault,) as it regards the chief; and I think it but fair and liberal to judge of a man’s conduct according to his own notions of right and wrong, taking into account his opportunities of knowing better, and in this point of view, the natives of these islands are but mere infants in civilization and morality (not from want of power, but opportunity of growth). Our sentiments towards these people, therefore, should be mild and liberal; our conduct generous and careful, or severe and rigorous, according to circumstances; while our better notions of morality will teach us not to be revengeful. In the meanwhile, we do not exculpate from all fault the men who obeyed their chief on the above occasion. They were guilty not because they obeyed, but because they obeyed with willingness, in hope of obtaining what to them were riches.

On the subject of plunder, Mr. Mariner seems to have overlooked the fact that the captain and crew, himself included, of the Port au Prince had arrived in Tonga after a voyage of capturing, killing, and plundering Spanish ships and villages, apparently without a sign of remorse or doubt about the righteousness of their actions. This privateering, no less than the Tongans’ seizure of their ship, was done for gain — the Spanish were rich with gold and silver — and somehow it was all right, and not contrary to their English Christian morals, to take this wealth away by capture, theft, and murder. It was not something for which they felt their God would punish them. Who was guilty of the greater wrong, the crew of the Port au Prince who killed men and seized ships and treasure off the Spanish coast of South America, or the men of Tonga who killed some of the crew to capture this ship for a treasure of iron on the coast of Ha’apai?

In respect to the intended assassination of Captain Cook, every native of Tonga would have considered it, if it had taken place, a very base act, for which probably the gods would have punished them. Tupouniua’s assassination of Tuku’aho was esteemed rather a virtue than a crime; but Tupouto’a’s assassination of Tupouniua was held a very atrocious act, offensive to the gods. An old matapule used to say, “Useless and unprovoked murder was highly offensive to the gods; and that he never remembered a man guilty of it but who either lived unhappy, or came to an untimely end.”

Theft is considered by them an act of meanness rather than a crime; and although some of the chiefs themselves have been known to be guilty of it on board ships, it is nevertheless not approved of. Their excuse is the strength of the temptation. The chiefs that would do it are, however, few.

From the above considerations, I am disposed to say, that the notions of the Tonga people, in respect to honor and justice, as I have above viewed them, are tolerably well defined, steady and universal; but that, in point of practice, both the chiefs and the people, taking them generally, are irregular and feckly; being in some respects exceedingly honorable and just, and in others the contrary, as a variety of causes may operate. In regard to these virtues, therefore (in the sense in which I have here taken them), they may be considered very faulty; though there are several admirable exceptions, whose characters become more splendid and meritorious by the contrast.

As being closely allied with principles of honor and justice, I shall now examine the character of these people, as it regards their opinion of one another; and here we shall find something greatly to admire, and much to be approved of. While we accuse them of treachery and cruelty, they as loudly cry out that we are calumniators and detractors. For no bad moral habit appears to a native of Tonga more ridiculous, depraved, and unjust, than publishing the faults of one’s acquaintances and friends; for while it answers no profitable purpose, it does a great deal of mischief to the party who suffers; and as to down right calumny or false accusation, it appears to them more horrible than deliberate murder does to us. It is better, they think, to assassinate a man’s person than to attack his reputation. In the first case, you only cause his death, which must happen to him some time or another, whether you will or not; but in the latter case you take from him what otherwise he might, strictly speaking, never have lost, which he might have carried with him faultless to the grave, and which afterwards might have remained attached to his memory as long as the memory of him existed. And they not only hold this as a just and honorable principle, but they likewise put it in practice; so that instances of calumny and defamation are very rare. On the other hand, they equally avoid the baseness of flattery, and even where a man has performed some achievement that is really praiseworthy, they seldom commend him in his presence, lest it should make him vain and proud of himself. They are very well able to discriminate true bravery from false. A modest opinion of oneself is esteemed a great virtue, and is also put in practice. For a further instance of this, the conduct of the present King may be noticed, when he first came into power, and his admirable speech may also be recalled.

In regard to humanity, or a fellow-feeling for one another, much is to be said on both sides of the question. The sentiment itself is universally approved of, and they speak highly of Europeans for their mild and humane conduct. It must be confessed, however, that they do not so extensively practice it, at least according to our notions of it, nor even, I might add, according to their own; which must be attributed in some to a want of thought, and want of feeling, particularly in boys and young lads; and in the older branches of society to motives of revenge, which, if it be for some serious injury, is deemed almost a virtue. We are here speaking of the men; as to the women, they are universally humane. A few, indeed, of the principal wives of chiefs are proud and haughty, and consequently tyrannical; but, considering the women generally, they are exceedingly humane and considerate; and though in their talkativeness, as in other parts of the world, they naturally speak of one another’s faults, it is usually of such as are of a trifling nature, and without any malice, being mostly in the way of humor or joke. As to considerable faults, such as a woman’s infidelity to her husband, it would remain as much a secret with any of her own sex (if they accidentally knew it) as it possibly could with herself! Quarrels among the women are very rare. There is a lesser species of humanity, known commonly by the term good-nature, which is universally prevalent among the men as well as the women, and which is plainly depicted in the countenances of most of them. Taking all things into consideration, we must not venture to call them a humane people; but, on the contrary, to say they were cruel would certainly be making use of too harsh a term.

The next subject I shall consider is chastity. In respect to this, their notions are widely different from those of most European nations; we must, therefore, first examine what are their own ideas respecting this matter, and if they are such as are consistent with public decorum and due order and regularity in the social state, without tending to enervate the mind or debase the character of man, we shall take those ideas as the standard by which to judge them, and as far as they act consistently thereto we shall call them chaste, and as far as they infringe upon it we shall deem them offenders. But here it may be asked how are we to judge whether their own notions upon this subject are consistent with the good order of society, etc. To this I can make no other answer than by referring to the actual state of society there, and pointing out those evils which may be supposed to arise from their wrong notions upon this subject.

In the first place, it is universally considered a positive duty in every married woman to remain true to her husband. What we mean by a married woman is, one who cohabits with a man, and lives under his roof and protection, holding an establishment of him. A woman’s marriage is frequently independent of her consent, she having been betrothed by her parents, at an early age, to some chief, matapule or mu’a. Perhaps about one third of the married women have been thus betrothed; the remaining two thirds have married with their free consent. Every married woman must remain with her husband whether she choose it or not, until he please to divorce her. I think that about two thirds of the women are married, and of this number full half remain with their husbands till death separates them; that is to say, full one third of the female population remain married till either themselves or their husbands die. The remaining two thirds are married and are soon divorced, and are married again perhaps three, four, or five times in their lives, with the exception of a few who, from whim or some accidental cause, are never married; so that about one third of the whole female population, as before stated, are at any given point of time unmarried. This calculation is made with due reference to the women living on the plantations, who are almost all married to the tu’as who till the ground, and remain constantly so; the unmarried women, therefore, live principally at the mu’a, or place where the chiefs, matapules, etc. dwell, and are attendants upon them or their wives. Girls that are too young to be marriageable are not taken into account. Having thus ascertained, as nearly as possible, the proportion of married women, I shall make an inquiry how far it may reasonably be supposed they are entitled to the reputation of fidelity. During the whole of my four years residence at one or other of these islands, I had frequent opportunities of intimacy with the wives of chiefs; for being a foreigner, and a white man, I was free from a great many restrictions to which the natives are subject. For instance, whenever I pleased I could go in the houses of Finau’s wives, or of the wives of other chiefs, and converse freely with them as long as I chose, which was a liberty that no male native could take beside the husband, relations, or the cooks that carried in the victuals; and from habit they became so much accustomed to my company and conversation as to think very little more of my presence than of one of their own sex. Consequently I had every favorable opportunity of becoming acquainted with their habits and sentiments, particularly as one of the old King’s wives, my adopted mother, was a woman of very good sense and unaffected manners, and freely answered me upon all points that related to her happiness, to that of her female acquaintances, or to the condition of the women in general; besides which, it must be recollected, that I, being upon the greatest intimacy with the principal chiefs, was acquainted with most of their intrigues, which they did not scruple to relate to me, both on account of the confidence they had in me, and my being a foreigner. This seems an odd reason for placing confidence in such matters; but it arises from this circumstance, that, being a foreigner, I was not supposed to take that interest in their concerns which might lead a native to thwart any conduct which he did not happen to approve of. [No other European person knew the Polynesians of this era as well as William Mariner.]

With such opportunities of knowing the habits of the natives, relative to the subject in question, I am decidedly of the opinion that infidelity among the married women is comparatively very rare. I only recollect three successful instance of planned intrigue during the whole of my time; one at the Ha’apai islands, on the part of Vuki (the young chief mentioned on the occasion of the old King’s death), who was considered the handsomest man at the Tonga Islands; and two on the part of the present King, whose high rank and authority must on the one hand render his attentions flattering to the women, while on the other it may be supposed to excite a little apprehension of the consequences of a refusal. A fourth instance may perhaps be added, on the part of the late King, in respect to Funaki but this is only upon suspicion. Several other instances no doubt there were, at different islands; but as so few were known to me, who had better opportunities of information than any native, I may presume that infidelity on the part of the women is a very unfrequent occurrence; and where it does happen, it must be with the connivance of their female attendants and servants, who are always with them, and attend them abroad, not as spies over their conduct, but as companions, it not being thought decorous, particularly for the wife of a chief, to walk out by herself. The wives of matapules and mu’as may walk out in the neighbourhood without attendants, but never to any distance. These are, therefore, great restrictions upon the conduct of married women; but there is one still greater, namely the fear of discovery, which must operate very strongly on the part of the wives of great chiefs, in whom an act of infidelity might occasion her husband to prevent a repetition by killing her. As the wives of persons of lesser rank, they might at least expect a severe beating, and the offender himself come off as badly, if not worse. Independent of these restrictions, I am of the opinion that the women are disposed to be faithful to their husbands, as being in their own acknowledgment their superiors, guardians, and protectors; and most of them, I firmly believe, are much attached to them, as I judge from their conduct when they become widows. Witness the behaviour of Tupouniua’s widows, and those of the late King. Mafi Hape, my adopted mother, did not, after the King died, marry another, or admit a lover; although Vuki, who was considered the handsomest, and one of the most agreeable men in all the Tonga islands, became passionately in love with her, and would have paid his addresses with the greatest fervour and perseverance, if she had allowed him opportunities. At this time she was at the Ha’apai islands, residing with her father, under whose protection she remained at the time I left the islands, which was about six months after her husband’s death. She might have married again, without any impropriety, two months afterwards, or allowed of an amour without any reproach. In respect to the wives of the lower ranks in society, they are oftener to be met with alone, and on such occasions sometimes consent to the solicitations of chiefs whom they may happen to meet, not, as I think, from an abandoned principle, or want of affection to their husbands, but from a fear of incurring the resentment of their superiors. The wives even of the lowest orders, I think, are very faithfully attached to their husbands.

From the above investigation, I think it would be but giving a fair opinion of the reputation of the married women to say, that they are not only circumspect in conduct, but chaste in principle; and when we consider that the married women form about two thirds of the female population (that are marriageable), it will give us no mean opinion of their moral reputation.

If a man divorces his wife, which is attended with no other ceremony than just telling her that she may go, she becomes perfect mistress of her own conduct, and may marry again, which is often done a few days afterwards, without the least disparagement to her character. Or, if she chooses, she may remain single and admit a lover occasionally, or may cohabit with her lover for a time, and remain at his house without being considered his wife, having no particular charge of his domestic concerns, and may leave him when she pleases, and this she may also do without the least reproach or the least secrecy. From this circumstance we may draw an argument in favor of the chastity of the women generally, for if they were of a different character it is natural to suppose that very few would marry, except those who, when very young, were betrothed to chiefs, and consequently married independently of their consent. But I find that three times that number are actually married. As many are married three, four, or five times, it cannot be from an unchaste, libertine, or wandering disposition on the part of the women, seeing that when once divorced they may remain single if they please, and enjoy all the liberty that the most libertine heart can desire. If now it be asked, “Why then do they marry?” The answer is, for love of one object, with the idea that the object of their affections will always make them happy; and if they are disappointed in one instance they are willing to try it in a second, a third, etc. In short, it would appear that the force of sentimental affection blinds them to the probability of a disappointment, and they willingly make a generous sacrifice of their liberty to prove the strength of their attachment.

As to those women who are not actually married, they may bestow their favors upon whomsoever they please, without any opprobrium. It must not, however, be supposed, that these women are always easily won; the greatest attentions and most fervent solicitations are sometimes requisite, even though there be no other lover in the way. This happens sometimes from a spirit of coquetry, at other times from a dislike to the party. It is thought shameful for a woman frequently to change her lover. Great presents are by no means certain methods of gaining her favors, and consequently they are more frequently made afterwards than before. Gross prostitution is not known among them.

The proposition, or rather position, that every woman is at heart a rake, will certainly not hold true in the Tonga islands.

In regard to the habits of the men in this respect, it must in the first place be observed, that no man is understood to be bound to conjugal fidelity. It is no reproach to him to intermix his amours, though if a married man does this to excess it is thought inconsistent. Notwithstanding this liberty of conduct, however, most of the married men are tolerable true to their wives; and where they have any other amour it is kept a secret from the wife, not out of any fear or apprehension, but because it is unnecessary to excite her jealousy, and make her perhaps unhappy. It must be said, to the honor of the men, that they consider in no small degree, and in no few respects, the happiness and comfort of their wives. In such a case of amour, the female he is attached to never offers to associate with the wife during the time she cohabits with the husband; for this would be thought a great insult, though afterwards she may, as freely as if nothing had happened, even though the wife might have known of the transaction. The women of course feel occasionally much jealousy, but it is seldom strongly expressed, and very rarely produces any fatal consequences. Pride generally causes them to conceal this passion.

With respect to the unmarried men, their conduct is of course free, but they seldom make any deliberate attempts upon the chastity of other men’s wives. Rape, however, sometimes happens, and young chiefs are the perpetrators. If a woman is known to be married, even though her husband be only a tu’a, it would most likely save her from this outrage; and if she did not choose to give her consent, she might go free without farther molestation. When a woman is taken prisoner (in war), she generally has to submit; but this is a thing of course, and considered neither an outrage nor a dishonor — the only dishonor being to be a prisoner, and consequently a sort of servant to the conqueror. Rape, though always considered an outrage, is not looked upon as a crime, unless the woman be of such a rank as to claim respect from the perpetrator.

When all things are taken into consideration regarding the connubial system of these people, their notions of chastity, and their habits in respect to it, we shall have no reason to say but what they keep tolerably well within those bounds which honor and decency dictate.

It may be objected that such habits as we have been describing, must often lead to a disregard of public decency, and which therefore must be very bad for the morals of the younger branches of society of both sexes, by making them acquainted with what they ought not to have any idea of, before the voice of nature whispered the important secret. In reply to this, we must observe, that no nation can well pay greater attention to public decency than the Tonga people. At the same time I acknowledge, that conversation is often intermingled with allusions, even when women are present, which could not be allowed in any decent society in England. This, however, is never done if married women, or chiefs superior to the speaker, are near; because it would be disrespectful. Such subjects are not the result of depraved notions, they are rather the offspring of the imagination, and occasionally hazarded as vehicles of joke and humor. Notwithstanding this, the blush of female modesty suffuses the cheek in these islands as well as elsewhere, although the occasion of it is not so much considered an offence. Though the females are very deficient in artificial modesty, they amply make up for it by the more genuine feeling of natural bashfulness. Those among us whose morality is almost skin deep, and who make a vast account of outside appearances, will perhaps condemn them for this.

In respect to children of both sexes, it must be acknowledged that they become acquainted with such subjects at a very early age. Nevertheless, a young female (suppose 8, 9, or 10 years old), conducts herself with becoming modesty, and any indecent allusion would put her to the blush. She possesses a kind of modest pride, which she probably copies from the example of her mother, or else it is her natural bashfulness, or perhaps both, which generally constitutes the safeguard of her chastity, till the affections of the heart growing ripe with riper years, she at length listens to the solicitations of her lover. In regard to the boys, I never observed nor heard of any pernicious effect in their conduct, resulting from too early an acquaintance with these things. When no secret is made, what is there to excite any farther inquiry? But if the subject be involved in mystery, it seizes strong hold of the mind; it becomes a frequent topic of discourse; and, what is worse, the curious inquirer is not contented with partial hearsay evidence, he has recourse to experience; for as long as anything is concealed from him, he is restless and dissatisfied; and when he knows all that he can know, it will be, probably, at a period much more early than is proper. In what other way can we account for the facts? I saw no men at Tonga, nor did I hear of any, who made debauchery the business of their lives. On the contrary, they were wrestlers, racers, boxers, and clubfighters, strong, well made men, with fine swelling muscles. Another circumstance must be noticed, as connected with morality, and that is, personal cleanliness, in which no nation can excel (without ridiculous refinement) the people of these islands; and it is not unworthy of observation, that personal cleanliness often argues cleanliness of mind and idea. As to certain preposterous habits, which so disgrace the moral character of nations west of them, and which have been said to infect the natives of some of the South Sea islands, we must do the Tonga people the justice to say, that they have not the most remote idea of anything of the kind.

If it be asked what effect this system has upon the welfare and happiness of society, it may be safely answered, that there is not the least appearance of any bad effect. The women are very tender, kind mothers, and the children are taken exceeding good care of. Even in case of a divorce, the children of any age (requiring parental care) go with the mother, it being considered her province to superintend their welfare till they grow up; and there is never any dispute upon this subject. Both sexes appear contented and happy in their relations to each other. As to domestic quarrels, they are seldom known; but this must be said to happen rather from the absolute power which every man holds in his own family. Even if his wife be of superior rank, he is nevertheless of the highest authority in all domestic matters, and no woman entertains the least idea of rebelling against that authority; and if she should, even her own relations would not take her part, unless the conduct of her husband were undoubtedly cruel. That the men are also capable of much paternal affection, I witnessed many proofs, some of which have been related; and I have already mentioned that filial piety is a most important duty, and appears to be universally felt.

Upon these grounds I venture to say, that the natives of these islands are rather to be considered a chaste than a libertine people and that, even compared with the most civilized nations, their character is this respect is to be rated at no mean height; and if a free intercourse could exist with European society, it is a matter of great doubt (whatever might be the change in their sentiments), if their habits or dispositions in this respect would be much improved by copying the examples of their instructors. If, on the other hand, we compare them to the natives of the Society Islands, and the Hawai’i Islands, we should add insult to injustice.

I have thus endeavored to give a just and impartial view of these people, as far as regards their notions and practices of the most important points of morality, trusting that the account will be found useful and interesting. A great deal more might, no doubt, have been said; but the farther we enter into minutiae upon such a subject, the more we are likely to form an erroneous opinion; while the general outlines may be given without so much danger of being deceived; and what may be thought imperfect in this sketch, the intelligent reader will be able to supply according to his own judgment, If, for instance, it be objected that I have not take into consideration the question of their being anthropophagic [cannibals], I reply, that all the instances that can any way go to substantiate their character in this respect, and which happened during my stay there, have been faithfully mentioned, with the motives and occasions of them. From which, I think it is easy to draw the conclusion, that they by no means deserve this opprobrious name. Although a few young ferocious warriors chose to imitate what they considered a mark of courageous fierceness in a neighboring nation, it was held in disgust by everybody else.