Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/198

132 against the Port au Prince: he was a man of not quite so brave and disinterested a spirit as Toobó Nuha; he partook rather of the character of Finow, with a little more ferocity, but somewhat less depth of policy. It will be recollected that Toobó Nuha was the chief that assassinated Toogoo Ahoo; ever since which period Toobó Toa's desire of revenge was most implacable; and he had made a vow never to drink the milk of the cocoa-nut out of the shell till he had fully accomplished it. He had indeed all along espoused the cause of Finow against the adherents of his father, which may seem strange, as Finow himself was a principal accomplice in that assassination, though his policy did not allow him to be the immediate perpetrator. But Toobó Tóa knew well that he should have no chance of success against so strong a power as that of Finow; he therefore joined him, that he might have, some time or another, an opportunity, however dangerous the attempt, of wreaking a signal vengeance on Toobó Nuha. The crisis was now fast approaching, for he had well prepared the way for it, by constantly whispering into the ear of Finow something disadvantageous to the character of Toobó Nuha. At one time he represented him to be the meditator of certain conspiracies; at another the enviable possessor of a