Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/353

Rh THE TONGA ISLANDS. 287 was obliged to give up the design altogether. It was suspected that Finow would have been very angiy on hearing her intention, but, on the contrary, he praised it much, and approved of it, as being not only a meritorious act of bravery, but a convincing proof that her affec- tion for her deceased husband was great and genuine. After this transaction all the Vavaoo chiefs paid remarkable attention to Finow, not fail- ing to send him frequent presents of cava, gnatooy &c., and this they were the more anxious to do, as, being the richest men in the island, they were apprehensive that, in case their conduct displeased Finow, he might forni another conspiracy against them, with a view to deprive them of their possessions ; for they now found by woful experience, that he was not a man to be trifled with, and that his ho- nour was not safely to be trusted to, The king now spent a considerable portion of his time in country excursions, for the pur- pose of shooting calai, of which sport a de- scription has already been given. About this time a canoe was dispatched to the Hapai islands, for the purpose of procuring a quan- tity of fish, several species being there found in much greater abundance than at Vavaoo, or, at least, there is a much better opportunity of