THE TONGA ISLANDS.

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it be fashioned like iron into various useful in-struments ? if not, why cannot people procurewhat they want in the way of barter ?—butwhere is money to be got ?—if it be made, thenevery man ought to spend his time in makingmoney; that when he has got plenty, he maybe able afterwards to obtain whatever else hewants. In answer to the last observation, Mr.Mariner replied that the material of which mo-ney was made was very scarce and difficult tobe got, and that only chiefs and great mencould procure readily a large quantity of it;and this either by being inheritors of plantationsor houses, which they allowed others to have,for paying them so much tribute in moneyevery year ; or by their public services; or bypaying small sums of money for things whenthey were in plenty, and afterwards lettingothers have them for larger sums, when theywere scarce: and as to the lower classes ofpeople, they worked hard, and got paid by theiremployers in small quantities of money, as thereward of their labour: &c. That the kingwas the only person that was allowed to make(to coin) money, and that he put his mark uponall that he made, that it might be known to betrue ; that no person could readily procure thematerial of which it was made, without payingmoney for it; and if contrary to the taboo of