Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/484

418 418 TRANSACTIONS AT well what he had to say: persuasion hung upon his lip, and the liow of his eloquence was such, that many of his enemies were afraid to listen to him, lest they should be led to view the sub- ject in a light prejudicial to their interests. Although, in matters of consequence, he always seemed to weigh well what he had to say, in subjects of minor importance he was very quick in reply : his voice was loud, not harsh but mellow, and his pronunciation re- markably distinct. When he laughed, which was not on trifling occasions, it was so loud as to be heard at an incredible distance ; and with a very strange noise preceding it, as if he were hallooing after somebody a long way off, and the same kind of noise as he always made when in a passion : and this was peculiar to him. When in his house, however, giving orders about his domestic arrangements, his voice was uncommonly mild, and very low. In regard to his sentiments of religion and policy, they may be pretty well gathered from sundry passages in the narrative : — with respect to his religion in particular, it is difficult to say whether he had any : it is'certain that he dis- believed most of the oracles delivered by the priests ; for although he conceived that they were really inspired, when they appeared to be so, yet he thought that frequently a great deal