Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/455

Rh THE TONGA ISLANDS. 389 " this proof of our love and loyalty !'* At the same time 4;hey cut and bruised their own heads with clubs, knives, axes, &c. The whole company now formed themselves into a single line, the women first and aftecr wards the men, but without any particular order as to rank, and proceeded towards Lico (or the back of the island, as they term it, be- cause there is no opening for large canoes), for the purpose (as customary) of getting a quan- tity of sand in small baskets, for the use di- rectly to be described. The guns were not however taken in the procession, a« the young prince considered the measure now unneces- sary, every thing appearing perfectly quiet, for if any party had intended to revolt, they would have done it on their way from Neafoo to the grave, whilst they had clubs and spears in their possession, and not during the ceremony of burial, before which every man, according to custom, deposits his arms in the neighbouring houses. It is true they might afterwards have taken up their arms again and planned mis- chief, but the prince, who had always his spies about, neither perceiving nor hearing of any symptoms of disturbance, did not wish to seem fearful of revolt, which would have been the case had he taken the guns with him to the back of the island, and which he could not