Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/398

332 TRANSACTIONS AT wards at Pau, he had not an opportunity of seeing this ceremony. Close to Pau lies a very small island, called Chichia, which is in itself a fortress almost im- pregnable. The nearest part is not more than a hundred yards from Pau; and, at low water, joins it by a ridge of sand. At the place where this ridge joins Chichia, there is a high rock, almost perforated by nature, and which art has rendered completely so. This rock is con- verted into a strong fortress, commanding the whole island, which, indeed, is rendered inac- cessible in every part, by a heavy surf and dan- gerous rocks, except just to the left of the large rock, and that part is defended by a high fenc- ing. On this small" but strong island several natives of Tonga resided, for the chief was partial to them, because his wife was a native, of that place; he therefore readily admitted Cow Mooala and his men to come also and re- side with him. Cow Mooala took an active part with the chief of Chichia in his war against the people of Pau. This war had been kept up for a long time, the people of Cliichia constantly committing depredations on the people of Pau, without these being at all able to retaliate. From time to time they had taken a great number of pri- soners, which were kept apart for a purpose