Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/478

412 tain degree, justifiable, as examples to keep others in terror : a method undoubtedly not the best, but such as may be easily overlooked in a state of society like that in which he lived *. As another example to throw into the Ahoo : his severe sentences were thought necessary, by others as well as himself, to place his new authority as king upon a secure foundation. It is Mr. Mariner's opinion, in the impartiality of which I have reason to place the utmost confidence, that had Finow been less watchful, bold, decided, and severe, Toobo Toa would soon have shortened his reign j or, if he had not, Voona would probably have dethroned him, on his return from Hamoa,. in revenge for his former loss of Vavaoo : but his conduct was so unsearchable, his discovery of conspiracies was in a manner so instinctive, and his revenge so prompt, bold, and decisive, that the peo- ple looked up to him with extraordinary admiration, and pronounced him to be truly a great chief, worthy to be a king. The most judicious of the natives,, while they con- sidered his conduct as severe, declared it to be dictated by true policy. If therefore his severity, instead of being con- sidered either criminal or cruel by his own people, was on the contrary thought worthy of admiration as becoming a great, politic, and wise chief so circumstanced, I think I am warranted in saying that it " was perhaps on all occasions to a certain degree justifiable." Finow, beyond all doubt, was greatly to be condemned, but not for his cruel severity : it was his disrespect for the gods that constituted his great crime, — a crime of such a magnitude that his people were astonished to see the gods favour his enterprizes. It is ex- ceedingly difficult to judge of such a character without enter- ing fully into the Tonga sentiments and habits. These re- marks are made in consequence of some observations on the above passage in the Quarterly Review, No. 33, p. 25.
 * Finow was not considered wantonly cruel, like Toogoo