Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/430

364 364 TRANSACTIONS AT and cava were shared out, they began the en- tertainments of wrestling and boxing as usual at festivals. After the men had sliown their strength and dexterity in these feats by single engagements, the king gave orders that all the women who resided north of the mooa should arrange themselves on one side, read}' to com- bat all the women who resided south of the mOoa, who were to arrange themselves on the other. It was not a very rare occurrence for women to fight in pairs on occasions of rejoic- ing ; but a general engagement like this, with about fifteen hundred women on each side, was a thing altogether new, and beyond all pre- cedent, and quite unexpected at a funeral cere* mony. The women, however, readily engaged, and kept up the contest, with obstinate bravery, for about an hour, without a foot of ground being lost or gained on either side ; nor would the battle have subsided then, if Finow, seeing the persevering courage of these he- roines, had not ordered them to desist, the battle having cost them several sprained ancles and broken arms. They fought with a great deal of steadiness, and gave fair hits, without pulling one another's hair. The men now di- vided themselves in like manner into two par- ties, and began a general engagement, which was persisted in a considerable time with much