like the interior of a large lime-kiln, even to the hole in the conical roof. Acting under Finau's orders, one of our men now swam back to the entrance of the cave, and a

few minutes later a shout from the dome warned us to "stand from under." Through the chimney-hole invisible hands showered down great billets of firewood. Matches

RAIDING THE TREASURY.

181

were produced, and in a few moments a large fire was heating the stones in the middle of the cave's floor, and sending up a thick column of smoke to the leafy chimney in the roof. When the stones were red-hot and the oven was ready for its lining, the same invisible hand, in obedience to Finau's shout, poured through the hole a shower of green branches and banana-leaves, that fluttered down like the ruins of Klingsor's garden. The chickens and yams were soon baking in the steam of the leaves, buried under a foot of soil. Picnics such as this are to the idle young Tongan one of the highest forms of earthly happiness.

Fonos and addresses to the Civil servants had done something towards allaying suspicion and discontent in Vavau, in spite of the strenuous efforts of Mr Baker's son and the other Europeans to foster hostility to the Government. The result of the Governor's misconduct in accepting coin in payment of taxes had been to pour into the empty local treasury between £2000 and £3000 in silver. Seeing that the cow-faced sub-treasurer, in addition to his other delinquencies, reported that £6 had miraculously vanished from a saucer in which he guarded the public funds, though the fastenings of the treasury were intact, it was plainly time to remove the whole sum to a place where it could be employed in liquidating the debts of the country rather than those of the local officials. There was a strange display of emotion among the treasury clerks when I announced my intention. The Customs. officer, an Englishman, enlightened me. The nobles of Vavau were Home Rulers to a man, at least in so far as their money was concerned. They held that every dollar

piece paid into their treasury should be spent in their island-the very self-same coins, not changelings from Tongatabu. Therefore, though the law enjoined them, on receipt of instructions from the Minister of Finance, to remit their money to Nukualofa, even in the zenith of Mr Baker's power they habitually disregarded such orders, until the Premier himself, accompanied by a Cabinet Minister or two, had to come and remove the money under escort, amid the outspoken murmurs of the whole island. As soon as the clerks had spread the news of my intention, all sorts of obstacles sprang into existence. There were no bags to put the money in! It could not be counted in time! It was safer in Vavau than in Nukualofa! The king did not wish the money to go! The king's sanction was not in the least necessary; as I always preferred to take the least thorny path to my object, I called upon his Majesty to ask his permission, as well as to obtain the royal pardon for Tevita Finau, one of the religious exiles who still lay under sentence of penal servitude for church offences. I found the king in the back verandah of the tumble-down Palace, apparently alone; but a glance at the rickety kitchen, that stood within earshot, told me that the building was packed with the gossips of Vavau assembled to take notes of

interview.

but

our

"Is not this a time for forgiveness?" the king said, in

reply to my formal request for a pardon for Finau.

Sign the papers in my name." To my second demand he said, "Let them talk. Take the money. Is not Vavau the land

of foolish talking?"

But I wanted more than this. Manase had to learn a

I OBTAIN AN ORDER IN COUNCIL.

183

Το

lesson, and I asked for a Privy Council for the ostensible purpose of passing a short Ordinance of routine. make the necessary quorum, I suggested that Inoke Fotu, the judge, Kubu's father, should be sworn in as an extraordinary member. Though a professed adherent of our party, he had shown signs of independence under the suspension of his relative and protégé, the cow-faced subtreasurer, and I thought that the appointment, besides flattering him, would force him to declare against his old adversary Manase. The king was in an executive mood. “Haû ha taha!” (Let some one come !) he cried.

From among the trees in the distance a burly Tongan burst at a quick run. Gathering speed as he approached, when at ten yards from the king he leaped suddenly into the air and landed in a sitting posture right at the king's feet, with head bowed and body rigid in the attitude of respect. It was the most physically painful act of reverence I had ever witnessed.

Tell Inoke and Manase to come at once."

The man sprang to his feet and dashed off into the trees at his topmost speed. In a few moments the two chiefs arrived, evidently perturbed at the urgency of the summons. We moved into the dining-room, and held our Council there and then. Manase's feeble protest against the first resolution, that the funds in the treasury should. be remitted to Nukualofa according to law, was unheeded by the king, but it sufficed to rouse old Inoke, and the resolution was of course carried.

Armed with so formidable a mandate as an Order of the king in Council, I summoned all the treasury officials to count the cash, and ordered canvas bags to be made at

the nearest store.

There is no dirtier or more wearisome

task than that of counting £2000 or £3000 in silver, especially in a country where coins are grimy with handling, and one is distracted with the necessity of watching that the subordinates do not levy a toll upon their task. The bags were scarcely sealed when the steamer came in. An escort of sulky police was requisitioned; and I superintended an unwilling train of moneycarriers down the hill to the wharf, and heard the muttered reproaches of the bystanders, who believed them selves to be again defrauded of their hard-earned treasure by their rivals of the capital.