OF THE TONGA PEOPLE.

265

to sea, and returned to the Fiji islands to lay ina second cargo.

The Fiji islanders make their canoes prin-cipally of a hard firm wood, called fihi, which isnot liable to become worm-eaten; and as theTonga islands do not produce this wood, thenatives are not able to build canoes so large orso strong as those of their instructors : all theirlarge canoes, therefore, are either purchased ortaken by force from the natives of Fiji . Thenatives of Tonga take the greatest pains withtheir canoes, polishing them with pumice-stone,and paying every attention that they are notmore exposed to the weather than is absolutelynecessary. The canoes of the Navigator’sislands are similar to those which were formerlyin use at Tonga , but the natives of those islandsnever venture to the latter place but in canoesmanned with Tonga people.

Fono le, carving ornaments out of whalesteeth, for the neck, and inlaying clubs, &c. withthe same material. This art, as far as it regardsornaments for the neck, is of Fiji origin ; butinlaying clubs, wooden pillows, &c. is their owninvention. An account of the ornaments forthe neck has already been given, (Vol. I p. 299.)They inlay their clubs with extraordinary neat-ness, considering the rude tool they employ,which is generally a togi (or small adze), madeout of an European chisel, a piece of an old saw,