All these islands xvhich have been described, and all those which form the archipelago named Friendly, are un der the government of one king, excepting Feejee, which is supposed to have become but recently known to the others, aad whose warlike inhabitants, scarcely yet subdued, are greatly dreaded, and their friendship carefully cultiVated by the other islanders, The capital and seat or government is Tongatahoo ; but the king resides occasionally on the other islands, particularly I Iamoa, the inhabitants of which appear_to be held in great estimation. The king was said to possess unbounded authority, and to have the absolute disposal of the lives and property of his subjects ; but there appeared rather to be a kind of subordination, similar to the feudal system which formerly prevailed in Europe, as the more potent chiefs acted the part el' petty sovereigns among their respective followers, and frequently counter acted the measures of the monarch. Tongataboo is divided into numerous districts, each of which has its proper chief, who dispenses justice, and decides disputes within his own territory, and who generally possess estates in the other islands, from which they receive supplies of provisions. This island is called by the natives the Land of Chiefs, while the subordinate isles arc stigmatized with the appel lation of Lands of Servants. Its ordinary name also, Tongataboo, signifies the Sacred Isle, because it is thc re sidence of the Duatonga, the head of a lamily, supposed to have come originally from the sky,' and who seems to hold the station of high priest. The king bears the title of Tooe Tonga, according to Cook ; but according to later narratives, Duganaboota. The utmost order and decorum arc observed in his presence, and in that of the other chiefs. Whenever he sits down, all the attendants scat themselves before him in the form of a semicircle, leaving a sufficient space between them and him, into which no one, unless he has particular business, presumes to come. When any person wishes to address his majesty, he comes forward, and seats himself before him, delivering in a few words what he has to say. In direct opposition to European man ners, it is accounted the greatest rudeness for any one to stand while he speaks to a superior ; and even when the king is walking along, all who meet him must sit down till he has passed. When it is intended to do homage more di rectly, either to the sovereign or the chiefs, the person who pays the obedience squats down before the superior, bows his head to the sole of the prince's foot, which he touches with the under and upper side of the fingers of each hand, and then rising up retires. The crown is hereditary ; but it was mentioned to Captain Cook by the reigning king, that if he were to sail in his duties, the collective body of the chiefs and the people would authorise the commander of the forces to depose him, and put him to death. This very prince dying before his son was of age, the sove reignty was wrested out of his family by a powerful chief, after it had continued about No years in one line.
The king seems to be considered as lord of the soil, and upon him devolves the landed property of every sub ject at his death ; but it is customary for the sovereign to grant the estate to the eldest son of the deceased, upon condition of providing for the other children. The differ ent classes of the ate very numerous ; but few of them possess extensive districts of territory. They are called by the people, " the lords of the earth ;" and exer cise a despotic authority over their respective vassals. The most profound silence and respectful attention are observ ed when any of them addresses a body of their dependants : and no symptoms, of dissatisfaction or disobedience were ever perceived among the latter. Every thing in their possession is considered as belonging to the chief, who takes from them without ceremony whatever he may need. However scanty their supply of provisions, they are requir ed to cook a portion of it for his use ; and, in a time Of scarcity, he often setylk, his attendants round the district, \ i th orders for a certain quantity to he Inc:pared in a li mited time, which he stores up for himself and his house hold, while the wretched people are reduced to subsist on the coarsest roots, or to beg back a little of their own fruits, to keep them from starving. Nor do the lower classes merely labour for themselves and their respective chiefs, but they are frequently sent, as a species of tax or tribute from their lords, to work on the lands of the sovereign ; and, in addition to all these arbitrary exactions, they arc treated by their superiors with the utmost harshness and brutality.
The inhabitants of the Friendly islands acknowledge a supreme divinity residing in the heavens, and directing the elements ; but they worship at the same time a plurality of deities, each of whom has a peculiar administration, one presiding over the wind, another over the sea, another over the rain, &c. They ascribe earthquakes to the motions of a giant, who supports their island on his shoulders ; and, as they imagine the shaking to be occasioned by his be= coming drowsy, they hasten to shout as loudly as possible, and to beat the ground with sticks, in order to route lest by his stumbling through sleep, he should throw the island from his shoulders. Each district also worships its appropriate god ; and even every individual is supposed to have a particular spirit attending him, who sends afflictions and maladies when he is displeased, and, when irreconcile able, occasions death itself. To render him propitious, the relations or dependants of the patient frequently wound themselves, or cut off their little finger, and sometimes even some of his wives, children, or domestics are put to death. They consider the power of their deities as con fined to the present life, and their evil deeds as meeting always with punishment upon earth. Hence they employ every method to render them propitious, applying to them for a continuance of plenty, and supplicating their aid in time of suffering. They solemnly implore the blessing of the supreme divinity when they plant their crops, and ex press their gratitude when they gather them. Hence there is an annual assembly of the chiefs of Tongataboo, and of all the neighbouring islands, at the dwelling of Duatonga, the high priest, to offer the first fruits of their fields to him, as the minister and representative of the god who causes fertility. They do not appear to worship any visi ble part of creation, or any idols formed by their own hands; nor do they offer any animal victims, although on certain occasions they sacrifice human beings.
They have no priests, but every man presents his own offering. They discover a wonderfully just idea of the im mortality of the soul, and in some degree also of its immate rial nature. They believe, that immediately after the death of the body, the souls of the chiefs are swiftly conveyed to a distant island, where they are no longer subject to death, where every kind of food is spontaneously produced, and where they enjoy perpetual peace and abundance, under the protection of the supreme divinity. The lower class es, however, are supposed to have no share in this future bliss, and seldom speculate on the subject ; but their souls are considered as either eaten up by a bird which watches their graves for that purpose, or as doomed to suffer a kind of transmigration into other bodies. Among these super stitious practices may be mentioned the " taboo," although it may probably be nothing more than a political regula tion. The word is used with great latitude of meaning, but seems to signify " prohibited," or set apart front com mon use. A house becomes tabooed by the king's pre sence, and can no longer be inhabited by the owner ; and hence there are generally houses pro\ ided in every quar ter for the use of his majesty. A space of ground may be tabooed, and all persons are then interdicted from passing over it. Any article of food may be tabooed by the offi cer who has the proper authority, so as to be withdrawn from use for a given time. 13y assisting at a funeral, or touching a dead body, the hands are tabooed, and cannot be employ ed in taking food ; so that the person thus circum stanced is fed by others. Women are in this state on cer tain occasions, till they can have an opportunity of paying obeisance to the king ; and even the act of paying obei sance occasions the hands to become tabooed, till they are washed in water, or by rubbing on them some juicy plant. The word also signifies sacred, or eminent, and is applied to the king of the Sandwich Islands, who is called Erce taboo, and to the residence of the king of the Friendly Isl ands, Tonga-taboo.