Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/450

384 8^J4 TRANSACTIONS AT " in rank, and not like you, alas! great and " mighty in war !'* Such were their sentiments and conduct on this mournful occasion. Some, more violent than others, cut their heads to the skull with such strong and frequent blows, that they caused themselves to reel, producing after- wards a temporary loss of reason. It is diffi- cult to say to what length this extravagance would have been carried, particularly by one old man, if the prince had not ordered Mr. Mariner to go up and take away the club from him, as well as two others that were engaged at the same time. It is customary on such oc- casions, when a man takes a club from another, to use it himself in the same way about his own head ; but Mr. Mariner, being a foreigner, was not expected to do this j he therefore went up, and, after some hesitation and struggle, secured the clubs, one after another, and returned with them to his seat, when, after a while, they were taken by others who used them in like manner. After these savage expressions of sorrow had been continued for nearly three hours, the prince, having first signified his intentions to Voona, for reasons before stated, gave orders that the body of his father should be taken to Felletoa to be buried. In the first place, a bale