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Before we enter on the narrative here given, it may be convenient to supply some few dates as to the visitants of these islands, since the last voyage of Captain Cook in 1777, and especially as in the geographical illustrations the work before us is very deficient. Four years subsequent to 1777, Maurielle, a Spaniard, was entangled among these islands; and 1789, Lieutenant Bligh, in the Bounty, anchored at Anamooka, one of the cluster of the Hapai Islands, Captain Perouse having approached them in 1787. Captain Edwards twice visited Anamooka in 1791, which was the pointed place for rendezvous with the schooner that had attended him from Otaheite, and which had lost company with the Random. Bligh again in the Providence, and Captain Pollock in the Assistance, returning with bread fruit from Otaheite, remained during the night of August 3d, 1792 off these islands. The whole group is in number computed at 150, but only 61 of these have their places and proper situations assigned in the chart, and in the sketch of the harbour of Tongataboo attached to the Voyages of Captain Cook.

We do not very well understand why confusion should be introduced into the geography of the immense tract of the Pacific, by the substitution of the name of Tonga for the Friendly Islands, 'merely because the chart of Captain Cook did not comprehend, eo nomine, Vavaoo; and if the same liberty were taken with this sort of nomenclature as to the other places in the like sea which were visited by that distinguished victim of useful and daring enterprise, such difficulties would be occasioned to the inquirer, that it might be necessary to devote a long life to remove the needless obstacles which caprice, or some other intrusive motive, would occasion. In the present instance, we do not entirely attribute the variation to whim or fancy, but we rather ascribe it to a disposition to communicate a novel appearance to the work, in order that it may be more attractive to the general class of readers. The Friendly Islands have been mentioned so frequently since 1773, that it might be thought, if not by the author or editor, by some trading adviser, that an account of the Tonga Islands would be supposed to be the relation of a new discovery, which had hitherto eluded the vigilance of all former adventurers, and which deception would at least continue until the book itself were procured, the first page of which must, however, remove the misapprehension.

The Tonga Islands comprehend, Tonga, a cluster called the Hapai Islands, and Vavaoo. Those who have consulted the Dutch voyagers will know three of them under the appellations of Amsterdam, Middleburg, and Rotterdam; in the neighbourhood of which last are a great number of other islands of much smaller dimensions. Amsterdam had also the native distinction of Tongataboo, or Sacred Tonga; tabu, or taboo, denoting sacred or prohibited.

Dr. Martin explains the circumstances which led him to afford his valuable assistance to the present work in the following man

ner:

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In the year 1811, I accidentally heard that Mr. William Mariner, the bearer of a letter from the East Indies to one of my connections in London, had been a resident at the Friendly Islands during the space of four years, and my curiosity being strongly excited, I solicited his acquaintance. In the course of three or four interviews I discovered, with much satisfaction, that the information he was able to communicate respecting the people with whom he had been so long and so intimately associated, was very far superior to, and much more extensive than any thing that had yet appeared before the public. His answers to several inquiries, in regard to their religion, government, and habits of life, were given with that kind of unassuming confidence, which bespeaks a thorough intimacy with the subject, and carries with it the conviction of truth:-in fact, having been thrown upon those islands at an early age, his young and flexible mind had so accorded itself with the habits and circumstance of the natives, that he evinced no disposition to overrate or to embellish what to him was neither strange nor new. my inquiries respecting his intentions of publishing, he replied, that having necessarily been for several years, out of the habit either of writing or reading, or of that turn of thinking requisite for composition and arrangement, he was apprehensive his endeavours would fail in doing that justice to the work which I seemed to think its importance demanded: he modestly proposed, however, to submit the subject to my consideration for a future opportunity. In the mean while circumstances called him away to the West Indies: on his return he brought me memoranda of the principal events at the Tonga Islands, in the order in which they had happened during his residence there, together with a description of the most important religious ceremonies, and a vocabulary of about four or five hundred words. The inspection of these materials served greatly to increase the interest which I had already taken in the matter, and I urged the necessity of committing the whole to paper while every thing remained fresh in his memory. To facilitate this object, I proposed to undertake the composition and arrangement of the intended work, whilst Mr. Mariner should direct his view solely to noting down all that he had seen and heard in the order in which his memory might spontaneously furnish it, that these materials might afterwards be made, from time to time, subjects of conversation, strict scrutiny, amplification, arrangement and composition; consequently not one of the ensuing pages has been written without Mr. Mariner's presence, that he might be consulted in regard to every little circumstance or observation that could in the smallest degree affect the truth of the subject under consideration; and, in this way, it is presumed that a great deal more useful and interesting matter has been elicited, than would probably have occurred to him through the medium of his own unassisted reflections; for conversation calls to mind many things that would otherwise have escaped the memory; it constantly demands elucidations; one idea gives birth to another, until the whole subject lies completely unfolded to the mind.' (p. vi.-ix.)

The arrangement of the work may be briefly stated. It commences with the voyage of the ship Port au Prince, in which Mr.

Mariner was conveyed to the Tonga Islands; next follows an historical account of what occurred during his stay for about four years at those islands, including not only what regarded himself, but the different changes, religious and political; and the recital being thus brought down to the departure of Mr. Mariner, the remaining chapters are devoted to an orderly statement of the condition of society; the ranks and professions; the names and attributes of the gods; the notions entertained of the human soul and a future life; the most important ceremonies; the games and amusements; the music, vocal and instrumental; the state of pharmacy; of arts and manufactures; and lastly, is supplied a grammar of the language, and a vocabulary comprehending two thousand words.

This insight into the dialect of the people we consider to be the most valuable, although not the most entertaining part of the work. Captain Cook observes, that the language of the Friendly Islands is sufficiently copious to express all the ideas of the people; and that he had many proofs of its applicability to musical purposes, both in song and recitative. The language may likewise be considered as the master-key to all that may be acquired in the neighbouring situations, as on the like authority we learn that this tongue has the greatest affinity imaginable to that of New Zealand, of Wateeoo, and Mangena, and consequently to that of Otaheite and the Society Isles. Many of the words are also the same as those spoken at Coco's Island, as appears by the vocabulary collected by Le Maire and Schouten. Some of the terms of Horn Island, another of the discoveries of Schouten, also belong to the language of Tongatabatoo.

Those who look for much information in these volumes on natural history and philosophy, particularly in the departments of botany, zoology, and mineralogy, will infallibly be disappointed; but the moralist, who loves to examine human nature in that middle state, between the solemn gravity of savage and the affected levity of polished life, will find this interesting situation faithfully depicted, with all that relates to the arts, the customs, the religion, the government, and whatever is peculiar to man in this stage of social cultivation; and under such a view, we confidently recommend it to the attentive examination of our readers.

The voyage commenced from Gravesend, in the Port au Prince, on the 12th Feb. 1805, and after a variety of the ordinary adventures, on Saturday, 29th Nov. 1806, she brought to on the northwest point of Lefooga, one of the Hapai Islands, in the same place where Captain Cook had formerly anchored. In this situation several of the crew mutinied, and were killed on shore by the natives. On the 1st of December, the islanders took possession of the ship; and Mr. Mariner, after being exposed to very great danger, was landed in a canoe. He was conducted into the presence of Finow, the king of the island, who fortunately took a particular fancy to him. The ship was subsequently run aground and plundered by Finow's orders; and in the evening of the 9th

December the natives set fire to her, in order the more conveniently to get at the iron work, which was highly valued by them. The next day, at sun-rise, the people flocked to the beach, and some of the crew, under the direction of Mr. Mariner, conveyed five of the carronades on shore.

After a shooting excursion with the King to the neighbouring island of Whiha, he and Mr. Mariner returned to Lefooga. Our adventurer was now required to surrender his books and papers, which he learnt afterwards were burnt; and on inquiring the reason, he was told (as he afterwards understood) that his Majesty could not on any account allow him to practice witchcraft to the injury of the Tonga people; and that it was well known to the King, that those books and papers were instruments and means of invocation, to bring down some evil or plague upon the country. Mr. Mariner and his companions, who were reduced to the number of five, (the rest either being killed or dispersed on the adjacent islands,) began soon to be tired of their way of life; and endeavoured to procure from the King the gift of a canoe, that they might rig it as a sloop, and make Norfolk Island, on their voyage to New Holland. Their purpose, however, was disappointed.

The history of a revolution which took place is next given. At the time of Captain Cook's visit, the whole of Tonga (that is, the island of Tonga, the Hapai Islands, and Vavaoo) was under the dominion of Tongoo Ahoo; but in consequence of this change, the island of Tonga had been for ten or twelve years, divided into several petty states, all at war with one another; Finow being then King of the Hapai Islands and Vavaoo, and Tooboo Neuha tributary chief of the latter.

The death of Finow occurred after an entertainment. His illness began with a difficulty of respiration, his lips became purple, and his under jaw was convulsed. His friends finding he did not get better, procured one of his children to sacrifice it to the gods, that the divine anger might be appeased, and the health of the father restored. They found the child in a neighbouring house, sleeping in its mother's lap; they snatched it away by force, and retiring, they strangled it with a band of gnatoo. The corpse was then taken with all speed before two consecrated houses and a grave; at each place a short prayer to the god was hurried over, that he might interpose with the other deities in the behalf of Finow, and accept of this sacrifice as an atonement for his crimes. The appearance and character of the deceased King, with whom Mr. Mariner was an almost constant associate, will interest the reader.

'Finow, the sole and arbitrary monarch of Vavaoo and the Hapai Islands, was in stature six feet two inches; in bulk and strength, stout and muscular; his head erect and bold; his shoulders broad and well made; his limbs well set, strong, and graceful in action; his body not

* A substance used for clothing, prepared from the bark of the Chinese paper-mulberry tree.

corpulent, but muscular; his hair of a jet black, and curly, yet agreeably so, without being woolly; his forehead remarkably high; his brow bold and intelligent, with a little austerity; his eye large and penetrating, yet joined to an expression of mildness; his nose aquiline and large, his lips well made and expressive; his teeth remarkably large, white, and regular; his lower jaw rather prominent; his cheek-bones also rather prominent, compared with those of Europeans.-All his features were well developed, and declared a strong and energetic mind, with that sort of intellectual expression, which belongs not so much to the sage as to the warlike chieftain: ambition sat high on his front, and guided all his energies: his deep and penetrating eye, and his firm and masculine deportment, while they inspired his adherents with confidence, struck awe to the minds of conspirators:-his actions were, for the most part, steady and determined, and directed to some well-studied purpose: his resolve was fate, and those who obeyed him with reluctance trembled, not without reason. He appeared, almost constantly, in deep thought, and did not often smile;-when he spoke, on matters of some importance, it was not without first holding up the balance in his mind, to weigh well what he had to say: persuasion hung upon his lip, and the flow of his eloquence was such, that many of his enemies were afraid to listen to him, lest they should be led to view the subject in a light prejudicial to their interests.

́Although, in matters of consequence, he always seemed to weigh well what he had to say, in subjects of minor importance he was very quick in reply: his voice was loud, not harsh but mellow, and his pronunciation remarkably distinct. When he laughed, which was not on trifling occasions, it was so loud as to be heard at an incredible distance; and with a very strange noise preceding it, as if he were hallooing after somebody a long way off, and the same kind of noise as he always made when in a passion; and this was peculiar to him. When in his house, however, giving orders about his domestic arrangements, his voice was uncommonly mild, and very low.

In regard to his sentiments of religion and policy, they may be pretty well gathered from sundry passages in the narrative:-with res pect to his religion in particular, it is difficult to say whether he had any: it is certain that he disbelieved most of the doctrines taught by the priests; for although he believed that they were really inspired, when they pretended to be so, yet he thought that frequently a great deal of what they declared to be the sentiments of the god, was their own invention; and this particularly in regard to what did not suit his own sentiments. He never, however, declared his opinion of these things in public; though he expressed them very decidedly to Mr. Mariner, and some of his intimate friends. He used to say, that the gods would always favour that party in war in which there were the greatest chiefs and warriors. He did not believe that the gods paid much attention in other respects to the affairs of mankind; nor did he think they could have any reason for doing so, no more than man could have any reason or interest in attending to the affairs of the gods. He believed in the doctrine of a future state, agreeably to the notions entertained by his countrymen; that is, that chiefs and matabooles, having souls, exist hereafter in Bolotoo, according to their rank in this world; but that the common people, having no souls, or those only