Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/439

Rh THE TONGA ISLANDS. •merely ordered his spies to keep a strict eye upon their proceedings, and to obtain all the farther information they well could, without in- curring suspicion. At the same time he re- solved in his own mind, as soon as the consent of the people should establish his authority, to banish all suspicious chiefs to the Hapai islands. About an hour afterwards, he learnt that Foogi the preceding day had ordered sundry parties of his men to post themselves behind the bushes, on each side the road to Nioo Lalo, during the time that Finow's body was being carried there, with orders to rush out and kill all who accom- panied the body, in case a fit opportunity pre- sented itself: but no such opportunity having offered, his men had assembled armed along with him, at a house near the water side, with his canoe close at hand, and had been there all the preceding part of the night. The prince ordered that no notice should be taken of his hostile position, but that all his own men should keep themselves well armed, and in perfect rea- diness to meet the enemy in case of a revolt : he also dispatched men to watch as narrowly as possible other chiefs, whom he began to think might be connected with Voogi. During the remainder of the night, no disturbance took place. In the morning, as soon as it was light, the people began to assemble on the malh, out