me, heartily at the idea of my thinking to fadongveer for him, as he considered he said, a chief like himself. "The illustrious example of the "My labourers finding they had wisest King of Israel, proves that pasonly my estate to attend to, were much sion is not weakened by indulgence, gratified, found their work easy, and that the desires of man are never satisperformed it with cheerfulness, fied, that our safety from the dominion Choosing a pleasant spot, at one cor- of youthful lusts,' is only in our ner of my abbee, I built myself a fal-flight from them, that to make the lee, or habitation, and made a plan- tempter flee, we must resist him stedtation round it, of plantain, bread- fast in the faith,' aided and rooted in fruit, and cocoa trees. From my fallee such a divine faith, as realises, and I made a sandy gravel walk, six feet embodies before the mind, the unseen in breadth, and about two hundred prospects of a Christian's hope, brings yards in length, through the abbee to near the distant objects of futurity, the high road, which ran along one and makes them the operative motives end of it; and planted it on each side of human conduct.” with sugar canes. way of his heart,' till he commit all iniquity with greediness.' "In about half a year my plantation began to flourish, and was the object of general admiration, and obtained for ine inuch respect and attention. The young men, as they passed, would ask, Whose abbee is this? Others would reply, Tongatta pappa langee,' It belongs to the man from the sky; or Moola,it is the strangers. As I walked through my plantations, or in the neighbourhood, the people would say, 'Oyewa, pappa langee goohou, well see, the man from the sky is coming. "The freedom from taxation, or fadongyeer, granted to my abbee, its increasing beauty, and fertility, and the ease which my tenants enjoyed, attracted numbers to it; so that, tho' I made additions to it, by the permission of the chief, I soon had as many labourers as I needed, and was obliged to refuse several who were desirous of living with me." When he became rich, he took more wives to himself, and joined in the practice of many great abuses. What they were he does not say; but, after the declaration, we have this pious exhortation :— "Let every youth beware of the alling attractions of sensual objects. When a mind that has been impressed with pious sentiments, once begins to listen to the voice of appetite, and to venture on indulgence, who knows how the spirit of God, when his convictions have been repeatedly checked and resisted, may, at length, be provoked to withdraw them, and to leave the man to go on fiowardly in the The following are some of the religious and philosophical notions of the Tongas: "While I enjoyed, under the shade of my fruitful trees, a picasant tranquillity, in the simplicity of nature, had I endeavoured to direct the minds of the natives, who visited me, or my own household, to the glorious Parent of good, and to his blessed Son, the restorer of Eden's lost bliss, my present reflections would fill me with delight instead of shame. But alas, I now needed instruction and reproof myself! I had so much imbibed the spirit of the natives, and joined their practices, that I never attempted to teach and improve them; or else, in a household of twenty, and sometimes of thirty people, who lived in my habitation, as my attendants and workmen, I might have done much good, But I thought of nothing but employing them for my service in the labours of the day, or for my amusement in. the diversions of the evening. 'Yet there were times, when ideas were thrown out, by the natives, respecting the immortality of the soul, which much surprised and abashed me. One day, I recollect, they were.. conversing about a person that was lately dead: they said to each other, he goes to the island through the sky,' an expression by which they denoted a place very far off, as beyond the horison, where the sky appeared to touch the earth. Wishing to know their sentiments upon this subject, I pretended ignorance and disbeliefHow can he be,' said I, in that place, when he is dead, and his body is here? Did you not bury him some jects the attempts of all that would moons ago? But all they answered molest or injure them. Into this rewas, But he is still alive.' And one endeavouring to make me understand what he meant, took hold of my hand, and squeezing it, said, 'Goomaogge hen, mooe hekai maogge.' This will die, but the life that is within you will never die,' with his other hand pointing to my heart. 46 This sentiment expressed on such an occasion, so unexpectedly, with such animation, and by a young man with whom I was particularly intimate, deeply impressed me. No circumstance more affected my mind during the whole of my continuance in the South Sea islands. Such a conviction of the immortality of the soul, expressed by a simple untutored heathen, defies, thought I, all the arguments of presumptuous philosophers, and infidel libertines. "I was fully satisfied that they believed the soul to be immortal. I endeavoured then to obtain more information, by appearing ignorant, and desirous of knowledge on the subject. But I could get nothing further from them. Whatever notions they might have, I conceived the poverty of their language prevented their explaining them upon points so abstract. "And so immersed was I, at this time, in habits of irreligion, that I felt an aversion of heart to give them proper instruction; nay, I wished to forget it myself; so much does guilt tie up the tongue, and harden the heart against attempting to do any spiritual good, when opportunities offer; and powerfully impel us to depart still farther from God, in order to gain a refuge from uneasy reflections. "Afterwards, however, in conversation with some of the chiefs, I discovered that they had more precise ideas on a subject of which the commonalty had only confused and indistinct notions. "They supposed that their souls, immediately after the death of the body, were swiftly conveyed away to a far distant island, called Doobludha, where every kind of food was spontaneously produced, and the blessed inhabitants enjoyed perpetual peace and pleasure, under the protection and favour of the god Fliggolayo, who had supreme power over all other deities, and warded off from his sub gion, however, they believed none were admitted but the chiefs: the tooa, or lower class, therefore, having no hope of sharing such bliss, seldom speculate upon a futurity, which to them appeared a prospect lost in shadows, clouds, and darkness.' "All, however, seemed to find consolation in calling upon a deity in trouble, or applying to him for a continuance of plenty. They solemnly implored his blessing when they set their yams, and expressed their gratitude to him when they gathered them, by offerings to Duatonga, the priest, who personated him and interceded for them. Each district also called upon its appropriate God, and each change in the elements summoned them to address its peculiar divinity. Was there a storm? They called on Calla Filatonga, who, they supposed, was the goddess of the wind. Were they deluged with rain, or parched with heat? They suppli cated Tongaloer, the god of the sky and rain, as they said, the deity was very angry. Was there an earthquake? They cried out to Mowe, a giant, who, they supposed, supported the island on his shoulders. An instance of this occurred not many months after we had landed at Tongataboo. We had lain down about ten o'clock, after our evening service, to rest, when we were alarmed by a considerable shock: but our alarm was much increased, immediately after, by an universal shout of all the natives within bearing in every direction. The next day we inquired into the cause of the uproar; and they told us, with seeming sincerity and unconcern, that the island had been shaken, because the giant Mowe, who supported it upon his shoulders, was become weary with his burden, and was beginning to fall asleep; and that for fear he should stumble, and throw the island off his shoulders, they had all cried out as loudly as possible, and beaten the ground with sticks, to awake him; that by their howlings he was roused from his drowsiness, and the island was held as fast as before upon his shoulders. 46 At another time, I was upon the sea-shore, when there was felt a smart 6 shock of an earthquake, and I saw beach, and ran after him, calling out as I approached, mi a heker mago,' i. e. ‘give me some fish.' Notwithstanding I spoke the language fluently, yet, discerning a difference of tone and accent, he turned round and said, Koe vacca, pappa langee goo he hen, two canoes that were lying upon the beach shaken with it. The natives did not appear at all alarmed; but immediately began to shout as loud as they could, and to beat the ground with sticks, till it was over. I began to ridicule their folly and supersti-ahoo tolou.' There is a ship of tion: but they took no notice of it: they said they were sure Mowe was falling asleep, and they must rouse him; and began again to howl and scream, and to strike the earth." Our author had now been three years in the island when a war broke out, in which some of the missionaries perished. We were much a mused with the Hudibrastic valour of Mr. Veeson on this occasion. He was "desirous of accompanying the warriors:" he burned for the fight," and "pressed forwards to the first ranks" but when he saw that some hard blows were given with clubs, and some unlucky thrusts with spears and boggebogges, (a sort of short sword), he took to his heels" with all due speed, and fell into a hole, by which he sprained his leg. Ever afterwards he took care to run away in time." The Tongas devour the flesh of their enemies, but it does not appear that Mr. V. adopted this, custom among the many others to which he conformed. After the war was terminated, the author was appointed to the command of one of the Vavou islands; but, in proceeding to his government, he makes his escape from the hands of his loyal subjects, and gets on board an English ship. He shall here tell his own story. I hastened into the canoe with my new subjects, and a good breeze soon wafted us out of sight of the Arbai islands. It was dark before we caine off the Vavou islands. At this time the wind fell, and it was midnight before we reached the shore. As we approached the island, under what the sailors call the lee,' or sheltered side of it, the moon was above the horizon, and by its light we saw a man getting out of his canoe, as though returning from fishing. Being hungry I jumped out of my canoe upon the your's here, and it has been here these "At length they consented, but as we approached had the unhappiness to see her under weigh; and was terribly afraid she would sail without me. As the wind, however, blew only a light breeze, the ship was some time in getting round, and the canoe could go faster than she was then able to do. I persuaded them to let me steer; and we soon came up with her, when the natives refused to let me be any lon ger at the helm, for fear I should run the canoe against the ship. "When we came near, I called out, How do you do, countrymen.' But the sailors only laughed at me, as they supposed, from my dress, that I was a native who had picked up some European phrases. "The ship was now just beginning to sail; and the only opportunity of getting out of the hands of these savages was likely to be lost for ever.What should I do? I attempted to call out who I was, but I had been so long unaccustomed to my native tongue, that I perpetually mixed the language of these islands with it; which rendered all I said so unintelligible, as to increase the ridicule and unbelief of the sailors. I jumped overboard, knowing I could easily swim to the ship; when a chief, who was near, said, 'Get into my canoe, I will take you to the ship. But no sooner had I entered it, than he turned with me towards the shore. My situation then was almost desperate. I cried out as loudly as I could, partly in the native, and partly in the English tongue: but the ship's company paid no attention. What could I do? I lifted up my eyes to Heaven in despair! murdered, as they were much superior to us in numbers, and we had no fire-arms, I called out to them to desist, telling them our danger: but here, again, I had actually so forgotten my own tongue, that I spoke in that of the natives. The natives understanding, therefore, what I said, were emboldened, and, instead of continuing their flight, turned about and began to pursue us. If they had known that we were without fire-arms, it is probable they might have overtaken and murdered us all. We made all the haste we could to the ship, which, through the kindness of a merciful Providence, we safely reached. Secure upon deck, I had the satisfaction to behold my late savage companions, from whom I had been deliveted, by this concurrence of circumstances too singular to be called merely casual, making for that shore, on which, had I set my feet, the cruel revenge of a barbarian would soon have made it my grave. I often shudder at the thought of the peril in which my life and soul were at this alarming crisis, when a delay of a few minutes might have for ever cut off my return to the tranquil delights of civilised life, the soothing pleasures of a peaceful sabbath, and the supporting consolations of religion." Providence, at length, pitied my distress. The Lord will not cast off for ever, for the spirits would fail beThe subsequent events of Mr. Veefore him. The good captain coming son's life are not worth recording. on deck, my anxiety and exclamations He sails to China, enters an Americaught his attention: he said, that can vessel in the bay of Canton, must certainly be au European; and works his passage to America, from immediately ordered out a boat for thence arrives in England in October me, manned with eight persons. I 1802, and obtains a situation of “resaw the boat coming, but the natives sponsibility, trial, and exertion." rowed away from it, tantalizing me, What it is we know not. and jeering, Such a chief,' said they, wants to see you. You must visit Loogolala's brother before you leave us. At length, a young man at the head of the boat beckoned me to plunge in. I watched my opportunity, and dived deep into the water, in a direction contrary to that in which the canoe was sailing, and kept myself underneath, that they might not strike me with their paddles.Meanwhile, the boat came up with me, and the sailors pulled me in. The boat then attempted to run the canoes down; but knowing the consequence, that we should all have been Such is the narrative of Mr. V. It contains certainly some interesting information, but less than it ought to contain. His account of the manners and customs of the Tongas is not so full as it might have been, after a four years residence among them, and a fluent acquaintance with their language. Yet, he tells something that has not been told before, and therefore he is read with interest. He is most evidently a man of no mind. He merely narrates what he saw. There is no attempt to deduce conclusions, no quick insight into motives, no discrimination, no argument. The work may serve, however, to shew the folly of attempting conversion in the South Seas, or perhaps any where, by such agents. There is an Appendix to the volume, of five or six pages, by an eminent writer, but it requires no notice. PRACTICAL REMARKS, and PRECEDENTS of PROCEEDINGS in PARLIAMENT ON PRIVATE BILLS. By CHARLES THOMAS ELLIS, Parliamentary Agent. 1810. ALTHOUGH Mr. Ellis does not display a very intimate acquaintance with the laws of composition, we must acknowledge, that he has conferred a service on practitioners of the law, as well as the public in general, by his collection of precedents of proceedings in parliament on private bills. The arrangement he has thought proper to adopt, appears clear and perspicuous; and his subjoined remarks, pertinent and judicious. ORIGINAL POETRY. STANZAS, written on Malling Hill, near Scenes of my boyish days! when life was Lewes. IMPROMPTU. I'VE seen a rose blooming, And sweetly perfuming, But ere Sol had done beaming, Its beauty was fled-ah! it wither'd away! Her mountains of treasure superbly display; Or the eve star was gleaming, Snatch with derision such prospects away. 1 |