Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/304

238 23B TRANSACTIONS AT lower chiefs and matabooles, to engage them more readily in his interest. Finow himself ac- companied Filimoeatoo as far as Haano, (one of the Hapai islands,) and took many of his prin- cipal chiefs along with him, with a view of les- sening the consumption of food at Vavaoo. On this expedition there were five canoes, all of which arrived safe at Hiiano ; and from this island Filimoeatoo proceeded in one canoe with thirty men to Hihifo, where he also arrived safe, and distributed his presents. The chief of Hihifo, on this second urgent application from Finow, after some considera- tion, answered, that as he could not make any use of the bird himself, his time being so touch taken up in constant warfare with his neigh- bours, and as it would not be consistent xvith the character of a chiefs to retain from another that which he could not use himself, he would, at once, resign the bird to Finow, notwith- standing the high value he placed on it, and the immense- care and trouble it had cost him. This famous bird was accordingly consigned to the charge of Filimoeatoo, who returned with all convenient speed to tell the king the success of his journey. Finow was still at the sion, — as in civilized countries one would say, it is not acting like a gentleman.
 * The chiefs, among themselves, use this sort of expres-