ftate o f childhood, whichthey oftenj^ate-ln a manner .that befpeaks
them to be by no means deftitute ipf gratitude.
The government o f Tongataboo is fo complex in itfelf, and the
natives’ account o f it folcliffereiSt,. each "faking a,particular pride.in
exalting his •o'^h chief aboye others, that it is difficult'tofoamp at any
certainty concerning it. The following appears'tQjis m0;ft l|||ffiftent
with the truth'.
This ifland beats an unrivalled,£ogereignty,over thm whplejgroup,
Feejee not excepted. The inhabitants o f JS^Jpe,having 'long, ago dil-
%©VaSed this ifland,'^frequently invaded- and comimtteds great cfuel ties
•in fit%’- -but 'ip- :an expedition which .the Tonga* people
them lately, under - the. command o f t Tobgahowed ^Fifefonga, - and
Cummavie,»they completely routed and hroughtthem, inforffihjAdfcioPv
T© that Jthey. now p ay tribute to Tongataboo' on<.certain[,,Qceadons, ^tlje
fame as the other iflands, o f which w e faw anjflhftanee.ut the death o f
Moomooe.' Tongataboo is divided^ into tlm.ee via.
•Ah eefo, at -thenorth-weft end, over which Dugonagabdolacr^igns'-with
ablolute fway. Mooa, the middle diftridt, rife, .under -,th§l fartjg. f&b-
■ jeftion to Futtafaihe.; and Vaharlo has the feme-pow^r oyef.^hpge-,
.fituate at the fouth-eaft part, each claiming a right.pj^difpofdoyer;.tja.e
iives-and property of'his own fubjeSis;. which tye haveiegn- exercifed
moft ;dsIpotically, oThefe diflridts are fubdivided into.-ipanytfmdler
ones, which have their refpedtive ehiefsTreiiding.aver thepi, and ex-
-ercife the'Tame authority 'as th e fuperior chief»}, tp. ythoin; th^JSre
neverthelefs,' in fame cafes, accountable 'for-their cppdudt; .fo that the
whole refembles the ancient feudal fyftem dfidur ^nceftprs, . 'T h e government
feems to . have been formerly more in • the h^hdsj, o f the
Fttttafaihes than at prefent.. Upon ffie -death o f the late Ppufebu»
.father o f the prefent Futtafaihe, Duatonga being then a minor,
the intolerant ambition o f his widow, }MabQ9&» o f theiTouhou (j^
•rather Doubou) family, led her to attempt extending her power in fome
particulars further .than any- of her predeceflors had done. This was
..tamely fubmitted to by all the other chiefs, except Feenou Toogahowe,
ÙOW Dugonagaboola, fon o f Moomöoe, and nephew oflFêépdut thèJ
celebrated friend-'of Cook : he at that time reigned- óver Eööa, and
rejedlirig her propofals, declared war againft her, contrary to the re-
monftrànces o f all his friends ; he however fucceeded; dfbye her entirely
• from this ifland to Vavao, whither he alfo followed, artdt
refltfqed*hei'’ fo^fubmffiöbn*, lcftTicr Éhfere;- mmÊQs fhé- ftiff ie-i
fouihsHk a ftâfe'SDftSxI.êd'b 1
T h e 'pdlptet ®ctliÿ1 anfwai J- ttf ' thé? fifdoftbfavourable' ''reprefenfatlonS1*
the'* wtfrM' haS-t^VerO fecëivkïïbf> furelyt^o'tTj^di&rioO-
Was,-fever' bèttèr^applied tfharU thâti‘'^fÿenf'Jd'!tbçm by -bur‘OoUntpy-’
foeff;x?ô#ttWh®îtof™^itfeemi very! ’Tre«d^; -flnee We <made them âfeà
qtfeÉffteö' ’WfehtSfc, tant! very' ftudioffs to r fender therfifdves- more de-
feiOTÉgdjEmt.'ï'is'BfeycpôftHfe: manÿlëÆdîêû#^h^tïoeÿlWfiich „"iwëfe*
tfe^lmightenéd with-'thé k - r î o w M l g j b , w o & l d t ' r e n d e r -
AiCTreïd^shroflf aifiabte p®3|)îeoonïiéaÎ!tb.; ' ï f o f t h e î r . ' b c ù n t y ?
add Ttheràli-ty,' to ftrarïgeTsiisi vérÿjgj-eat/
ân'dtheiCune'qüsfiled|d Itdstfno tmCoArfeïi'jthin^>Tor:them to complain
thèy are dying o f hunger, andy'aSrfoon asIheysfécMve a mo r fel, to divide-
iT'among as màny^âs are prefent, î-hé firflr "receiver generally leaving
himfelf the ftnalleft ffiare, fntf oftem'Ubne -df-all. When they kill a'
hog, or make any mefs for themfelves,?* there is always à portion fiait'
to théir friends; rewho return the'Tavour asTooil'as their circumftances.
will admitj whichikeeps up a conftanf friendly:communication amoîng
them', and which îwéj have never Teen, interrupted' by aby quarrel;!
during a fla y o f more than four months-.
Their honefty tOjOiie another foems unimpeachable, though we
have "no reafon to think the accounts of' their i diffiohelfy to ft rangers
exaggerafed. - ' The miirder b f . cHiMren,. and other horrid practices,
which prevail .among; .the ©taheitedns, are unheard ó f here. Their
children are much indulged, and old age honoured and revered. Female
chaftity is not much efteemed among the .lower orders, it being
a . cotnmon practice .with -.the chiefs, in our vifits to them, to offer'
fome o f their females to fleep with us ;■ the praâices- o f our aban-'