Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/421

Rh THE TONGA ISLANDS. 355 illness hourly increased, and feeling, as he said, a secret presentiment of approaching death, his female attendants ran out and informed his chiefs and matabooles, who in consequence im- mediately repaired to his house, and found him unable to speak ; for as soon as he saw them he endeavoured in vain to give utterance to his ideas, and seemed choked by the vehemence of his inward emotions. At length a flood of tears coming to his relief, he acknowledged the jus- tice of the gods, but lamented greatly that he was about to meet his death on a bed of sickness instead of going to brave it in the field of battle. After a little pause, he said in a calm but firm tone of voice, " I tremble at the approaching " fate of my country : for I perceive plainly, " that after my death the state of affairs will be much altered for the worse. I haye had " daily proofs that the obedience of my subjects " fears." Several chiefs and matabooles who, owing to the crowd, were not able to get into the house, but overheard what passed, went immediately to the priest of Toobo Totdi, and presenting him cava root, sat down before him. An old mataboole then addressed him, stating that they had firm belief in the power which the gods possessed of inflicting what punishment A A 2
 * ' is not excited by their love but by their