Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/294

228 drink cava with her and her attendants, and, as she presided, he of course sat outside, facing her. When the cava was finished, he walked out to view the fortifications, on which occa- sion the matabooles of Toe Oomoo waited on him, and pointed out every thing worthy of no- tice. They descanted on the excellence of the plan, and then gave him anecdotes of the war, telling him where such a chief was killed, where another lost his arm or his leg, where a cannon-ball had struck, &c. ; and, as they viewed the outside of the works, they pointed out where the different murderers of Toob6 Nuha met their fate. All this, however, they told him in answer to his queries ; for it is a thing very remarkable in the character of the people of Tonga, that they never exult in any feats of bravery they may have performed, but, on the contrary, take every opportunity of praising their adversaries ; and this a man will do, although his adversary may be plainly a coward, and will make an excuse for him, such usaal mode, but rather by the application of the upper lip and the nostrils^ and has more the appearance of smelling. When two equals are about to salute, each applies his upper lip and nostrils to the forehead of the other, or he applies his lips to the lips of the other, but without any movement of them, or smack, as in our mode. Our kiss they never adopt, not even between the sexes, but, on the contrary, always ridicule it^ and term it the xvhite man's kiss.