Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/235

Rh THE TONGA ISLANDS. 169 the shore in a small canoe which they had in ■tow, and be led along the shelf by his mata- booles, wading through the water, which was scarcely three feet deep ; to this also his friends objected, being apprehensive that, if he left the large canoe in the way he proposed, and ap- proached too near the beach, his temper might be so worked into a rage by the insults of the natives, as to induce him to rush on shore, and run the risk of being killed ; but Finow re- plied, by way of apology for not yielding to their advice, that it was the part of a brave man to keep himself perfectly cool and collected when insulted, and that he was resolved to act up to this character. Matters being thus ar- ranged, he went into the small canoe, and was led along by the matabooles. As they drew near to the shore, many of the natives called out to them, saying a number of things in deri- sion : one threw them a piece of yam, another a piece of pork, telling them it was to be the last they should get from Vavaoo*; then they enquired whether they were not quite tired of living upon the scanty allowance of the Hapai of hogs, as well as for gnatoo of a finer quality, and better printed ; the tree, from which the printing colour is pro- cured, being very scarce, and very inferior^ at the Hapai islands.
 * Vavaoo is famous for good yair.s, and great quantities