Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/237

Rh THE TONGA ISLANDS. 171 upright intentions gave him reason to expect, ancfhe trusted that they would submit to his rule and government as formerly. To this, some of the Vavaoo chiefs replied, that they should be willing enough to acknowledge him king, as formerly, provided he would reside al- together at Vavaoo, and interdict all communi- cation with the Hapai people, among whom there were many designing chiefs, of whose treacherous policy they had good reason to be afraid : or, if he did not choose to remain alto- gether at Vavaoo, he might reside at Hapai, and they would send him annual tribute, as usual, upon condition that neither he, nor his chiefs, nor any of the people of Hapai, would visit Vavaoo under any pretext whatsoever ; for, as they were quite tired of disturbances and in- • surrections, they heartily wished to keep away all who were promoters of discord, all ambi- tious and discontented chiefs; all, in short, whose tempers were too fickle to love a peace- ful and quiet life : and, as to the large fortress, they declared it had been constructed merely for the purpose of self defence. Finow then took up the discourse, stating, that he could not give his consent to terms which were in- consistent with his dignity, as supreme governor both of Hapai and Vavaoo,"" and that it was ex- ceedingly hard he should suffer for the rashness