Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/174

108 Tonga chief under the same circumstances: they immediately engaged with their clubs; one however being soon disarmed, and the Other having broken his club, they fought a long time with their fists ; and when they were so weak that they could not strike, they grap- pled with each other, and both fell to the ground exhausted with fatigue : the Tonga chief, incapable of injuring his antagonist in any other way, got his fingers into his mouth, and gnawed them dreadfully : after having thus laid for a long time looking at each other, they gathered a little fresh strength, and by mutual agreement each crawled home to his respective fort. The Hapai men, on their way back to Nioo- calofa, found several of their friends in different parts of the road, who were unable to proceed on account of their wounds. But they were too weak themselves to carry them, and were obliged to leave them to the mercy of the ene- my. They at length arrived at the ro/o, tired and fatigued beyond conception, with about fifteen prisoners. The following day, some of the younger chiefs, who had contracted the Fiji habits, pro- posed to kill the prisoners, lest they should make their escape, and then to roast and eat them. This proposal was readily agreed to, by