THE TONGA ISLANDS.

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as the unfavourableness of the opportunity, orgreat fatigue, or ill state of health, or badnessof his ground, &c. In their games of wrest-ling they act up to the same principle, never tospeak ill of their antagonist afterwords, but al-ways to praise him. As an illustration of thischaracter it may be remarked, that the manwho called himself Fanna Fonnooa, (a greatgun,) who ventured his life in his hazardousapproach to Mr. Mariner, and threw his spearat the muzzle of his carronade, never after-wards boasted of it, nor appeared to think hehad done any thing extraordinary, or at leastworthy of after-notice. Their notions of truebravery seem to be very correct, and the lightin which they viewed this act of Fanna Fon-nooa serves for an example : they considered itin short a rash action, and unworthy a greatand brave mind, that never risks any dangerbut with a moral certainty, or at least reason-able expectation, of doing some service to hiscause. In these respects they accuse Euro-peans of a great deal of vanity and selfishness,and unfortunately with too much justice. Itmust be remarked, however, that these noblesentiments belong to chiefs, matabooles, andprofessed warriors; not much to the lowest or-ders, many of whom will knock a dead manabout the head with a club till they have