Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/405

Rh THE TONGA ISLANDS. 339 at length, however, he considered himself to have found a permanent asylum in the fortress of Hihifo, with Teoo Cava, the chief who had made Finow a present of the extraordinary well trained bird. Teoo Cava received him and his followers in a very cordial manner, considering them a great acquisition to his strength j for they had the reputation of being all great war- riors, well schooled in the military practices of Fiji. Teoo Cava, at length finding that no enemy thought proper to attack him, resolved to lay siege to the garrison of Nookoo Nookoo : he was successful in his attack, and took it with an inconsiderable loss of men. This being done, he determined, contrary to the advice of his matabooles, to garrison both fortresses. The reason the matabooles gave for the impo- licy of this conduct, was the readiness with which the enemy made their retreat ; which they thought argued their intentions of return- ing speedily, with fresh strength. Ambitiort, and desire of larger possessions, blinding him, however, to his own proper interests, he neglected sage counsel ; and, dividing his forces, reserved the choicest half for his own personal safety in the garrison of Nookoo Noo- koo, and commissioned the rest to defend Hi- liifo. He had with him Toobo Malohi and his z 2