Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/477

Rh THE TONGA ISLANDS. 411 those who were active in taking the Port au Prince,) and question him upon the use of va- rious things they had seen on board that vessel, and then they would describe the difficulty they had in killing some of the men, mentioning, at the same time, who killed such a one and who killed another, and expressed, by their actions, how much such a man was convulsed when he died, and how deeply he groaned. Whilst talking upon such subjects, Finow passing that way, and overhearing the discourse, would com- mand them not to talk upon a matter which must be so disagreeable to Mr. Mariner's feel- ings ; that the fate of his companions was too serious a subject to be thus slightly spoken of: to which some of the chiefs replied, " but he " does not make that a subject of considera- " tion, for none of them were his relations.*' — rejoined Finow, " they were nevertheless his " countrymfen." Remarks like these, if not made out of pride, or from a spii'it of contra- diction, (and Mr. Mariner firmly believes they were not,) may very well serv^e to convince us that Finow 's mind was by no means destitute of humanity ; and though he was at times cruelly severe vnih his prisoners, in putting tliem to death by ways not the least painful, still this was perhaps on all occasions, to a cer-
 * ' Though none perhaps were his relations,"