THE TONGA ISLANDS.

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from those of profit (as they could employ themin making gnatoo, &c.) When they arrived atNeafoo, there happened a strong dispute be-tween several relations of the prisoners, andthose who had taken them ; the former arguingthat they had a claim to the women, accordingto the old Tonga custom, which decrees, thatall persons shall be in the service of their olderand superior relations, if those relations thinkproper to employ them: the captors, on theother hand, strenuously grounded their claimson the right of conquest. The dispute ranvery high, and they referred it to Finow, whoreplied, that he should not interfere in it, andthey might settle it themselves as well as theycould, for they had no right to bring the pri-soners there to create disturbances, but shouldhave dispatched them according to his orders.At length he condescended to give his opinion,viz. that the most proper method would be,under these circumstances, to cut each womanin tw T o, and give one half to her relation, andthe other to the captor. The affair, however,was amicably settled, without having recourseto such bloody measures ; some being given upto. their relatives, and others retained, uponterms mutually agreeable to all parties.

About this time the two long expected canoesarrived from Hapai, laden with provisions: they