THE TONGA ISLANDS.

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as in our parts of the world, but rather betweenthe size of a mouse and a rat, and much of thesame colour: they live chiefly upon such ve-getable substances as sugar-cane, bread-fruit,&c.: they constitute an article of food withthe lower orders of people, but who are not al-lowed to make a sport of shooting them, thisprivilege being reserved for chiefs, matabooles,and mooas *. The plan and regulations of thegame of fanna gooma (rat-shooting) are asfollow.

A party of chiefs and others having resolvedto go rat-shooting, some of their attendants areordered to procure and roast some cocoa-nut,which being done, and the chiefs having in-formed them what road they mean to take, theyproceed along the appointed road, chewing theroasted nut very finely as they go, and spitting,or rather blowing, a little of it at a time out oftheir mouths with considerable force, but so asnot to scatter the particles far from each other;for if they were widely distributed, the ratwould not be tempted to stop and pick themup, and if the pieces were too large, he wouldrun away with one piece instead of stopping toeat his fill. The bait is thus distributed, atmoderate distances, on each side of the road,

* For a description of these ranks in society, sec the sub-ject in the second volume.