Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/475

Rh THE TONGA ISLANDS. 409 this case?— he takes frequent opportunity to converse with the priests: he does not tell them that he wishes for peace, but he observes that peace would be much more advantageous for his subjects ; lamenting, at the same time» that the disobedience of the Vavaoo people obliges him to have recourse to warlike mea- sures : the minds of the priests, however, be^ coming strongly impressed with the advan-, tages of peace, when inspired they advise him to make a peace ; he, pretending to do as the gods admonish him, yields to the solicitation, and permits his priests to make overtures, as if this step was originally designed by them, or rather by the gods, and that he consented merely because it was a point of religious duty to do so. Thus we find him an admirable po- litician, although the picture is occasionally marked with traits which do no honour to his character as a man. Farther instances of this kind may be noticed, such as his cruelty to- wards his conquered enemies, by starving his prisoners to death in the shocking manner re- lated p. 78, for which he could have no excuse, unless to deter others from rebellion. As to his seizing several of the Vavaoo chiefs at a cava ring (p. 276), and ordering them to be killed, it may perhaps be that they were medi- tating an insurrection, as he was informed ;