The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-09-23 00:00:00

A TALE OF PAVAOO.

[From " 71e4 Nee .Wes/big ifigrighlel
(Comarded from *sr Paper of Thorestay, Stgeeraer 14 )

Early the next morning the ship had anchored
in the bus, and a few canoes were sent to open a
friendly communication. which was very adroitly
performed. The confederate chiefs theo began to
go off to the ship by degrees, and were received on
hoard in the most amicable manlier. Presents
were interchanged. and purchases made. The
numb-r of tlw islanders on board somewhat ex.
eeciled that of the crew. Taint**. as the principal
met with paoticular attentions (rain the Cap-
tain. His people were now dispersing themselves
in the manner agreed on. and Tainfa perceived
timer would presently expect the signal lie was to
give by stubbing the captain. A load cry suddenly
pierced his ear, and turning round. hi saw one of
has confederates fall mortally woutooled by the dark
of an officer. Instantly the whole crew drawing
pistols from their brooms. fired„upon the treache►-
om 'wives, whose lifeless bodies soon strewed the
deck. A few only escaped by jumping overboard.
Tainfa, detected, terrified. and thunderstruck, con-
ceiving that the gods had revealed the plot to the
white men, fell prostrate at the Captain's feet. He
was raised from the deck by two seamen ; but what
was his horror and amazement at seeing, imme.
/finitely behind the captain, the figure of Malohi.
lie now julged that lie was in tbe•land of spirits,
where his victim's ghost would eternally torment
him for his cruelty. But lie was soon undeceived.
•' Thou *rest me alive," said Malohi, ‘. and my
preservation has led to the detection and punish-
ment of thy perfidy. Mere is Mamais?"
A faint hope of safety cheered the miserable
Taiofoo. lie knew the generosity of his rival, and
eagerly declared that M./1111411a was well and safe,
and hod suffered no insult or injury from hint.
" well," slid Malohi. " traitor and mur-
derer as thou art, thou bast yet forboraie one crime.
Say, should I obtain thy life from the white chief,
shall there be peace between us ?"
But the reproaches of his rival had changed the
thoughts of Taints, Ile perceived that his power
was destroyed—his reputation gone—his hopes
blighted--and that protracted life would only be
lengthened infamy ; nor could lie hope that the
people of Vaysoo, his injured countrymen. would
forgive his treacherous introduction of their (lamina
enemies. He theretiore sesolved to die. " Know,"
slid he. " that Taints disdains thy intercession. He
can suffer death as unmoved as he can inflict it."

As he raid these word•, he wag seized by the
Frettcht.e.ameo, who dragged Ii i 11l into the hold, and
loaded Min with irons.

Hundreds of canoes aurrounded the vessel, chiefly
filled with natives of VIV4OO. When they saw the
full of so massy of the Hamad warriors, they re-
joiced in the prospect or their speedy deliverance
from those invaders. They, therefore, chewed uo
disltu•itiou to interfere. The French Captain, how-
ever, regarded them all as enemies, and maintained
all due precautions; he was therefore much re•
hewed when Malain explained to hint the real state
of affairs. After relating the jealous rivalship be-
tween himself and Taints, and the treacherous
manner in which that warrior had betrayed his
countrymen to the people of Ilamoa, he proceeded
to narrate his own escape :
"- When 1 precipitated myself into the waves, in
imitation of my companion, I thought merely of
disappointing the vetsgeauee of my rival, by rush.
ing into the arms of sheath. 1;lot when I rose again
to the surface, the instinct of is oture compelled me
to strive for existence. 1 breathed the sir, but
seemed in utter darkness. ‘Vith what rapture did
I hear my c.rinpaiiiiin whisper, . Courage—be still
—you a►e safe !' At the same instant he assisted
me to a crag, by which I had for some tune.

"6 My eyes snoti began to accustom themselves
to the dim light of the place in which we were, and
which at first I thought quite dark. I then per-
ceived it ti be it spacions cavern, into which the
entrance from the sea isy hfuerith surface. The
light was faintly reflected from the bottom of the
sea, through the aperture ihto this cave. We
now emerged front Ilse water, and sit on the
crags its silence, dreading lest any of our pursuers
should remain on the toilets near the spot. But
when the Ililure of the light warned us of the ap-
proach of evening we ventured to quit the
cave. We dived out of it in the same summer as
we bad catered it, swim fur a coissideroble dis-
tance round the projecting rock. and ai length
wifely landed. ‘Ve remained courcealed among the
cliffs till the evening, during which " t my pre-
server informed our of the motive* by which lie had
been induced to undertake my deliverance. and
explained the tome; by which lie had effected it.
He was a young native of lls 1111 l a, named Fangio ;
and although 7 did not remember him, yet hr
fortunately recollected that us. an inv.'s- of his
country by the people of Vatasoo, *lisle he was
yet a boy, I bad dissuaded our chiefs from
hulling to death a number of prisoners, Nil 1111 l
whom were himself, his mother, and ►ister. lie
had accidentally discovered this cave when fish.
ing, and happily for MO had never disclosed the
secret of its ex:stem-it. At night we issued from
our cosicealniesit, end I found that wr had lauded
near the divellirig of the priest of Toolionga. I
had no doubt that Tends and his !Irmo warriors
bad spared the old man from vent-ratio.' fur
the god lie wives, and I thought that I might de-
pend uss his aid for f I. shelter, and the means of
escaping to one of the Tonga islsuds, We t te.
fore advanced towards his dwelling : but as we ap-
proached. we perceived an unusual number of
lights, and heard the sound of many voices.—
Fairsw proposed to retreat instairtly, but I telt
un iiresislible iulpalrr to ascertain who were with
the priest, and on what occasion. I therefore
crept through the shrubs close up to his busier,
near the apertures where only it mat separated
are frout those. within. There I overheard the
recount of your arrived, 0 brave white chief ! end
11w neither nos plot laid fur your assassinatruir, and
the capture of your ship. Fanaw and I determined
to apprize you of the Uncurled attack, in hopes
that timely notice might enable you nr turn the
attempts of your reclines to their u•vm destrtn tion,
slid thus ri here the island of Vasvaoa from its
ssiiguitir►y tyrants. For this purpose we traversed
the couutry till we a•sired on the coast opposite

your vessel, leiter] a canoe, and came off to you
before dawn. The event Las falflllyd our etpec-

tatinns."
The sorrowful Illamana, exhausted by her frau.
tie grief, hod sunk into a deep but unquiet sleep,
in which she passed the night. The visions of
slumber presented to her the most fearful images:
sometimes she beheld her lover bound and sinking
in his canoe--she Paw his face sink beneath the
waves, and heard hie last gurgling cries n the wa-
ters suffocated him. Again he appeared as if
revived, struggling with his terrible rival, and at
last slain by his spear ; when the victor commanded
his flesh to he prepared for his horrid frost. In the
morning she awoke to the cou.ciou•nesa of her
dreadful fate. On a pile of mats site sat motion-
less; her arms embracing her knees; her tearless
eyes fixed on vacancy. Iler sagacious attendant
soma perceived the symptoms of impending insa-
nity : and in hopes to relieve her by exciting her
teals, she sang in ■ low tone, and mournful mea-
lithe, ass old and pathetic elegy, of which the Wl-
!using may give some idea:

" What sounds in the forest so mournfully swelllnei
Thrill, plaintive and sweet, through the silence or night
'Ti' the heart.hrokeis maid, in her desolate dwelling,
Bewailing the youth who has perished Ia fight.
Fled is the beauty her eyes that enchanted,
Mate is the voice that pour'd love and delight,
Cold is the herald tist her basest that panted,
Fall's is the youth is the terrible fight.
Far o'er the waves is an island of pleasure,
Jilt-rues departed their reign in delight ;
There, 'sapless maid, seek thy dearly•lov'd treasure,
There dwells thy lover, wlso fell iu the fight.'

Monument first seemed unconscious of the song;
but at length some inerticolir note seemed to rivet
her attention. She listened—changed her attitude
—and towards the conclusiiin wept abundantly.

A loud and continued noise was now beard with-
out; and in a few minutes the two (Limos warriors,
who had been left to guard them. entered the
house. pursued by a number of the Vavaoo people,
who soon dispatched them with their clubs.—
They then explained to Mamma the resolution
of her fortune, and that of her country, occasioned
by the failure of • Taiofa'a enterprizv, in which
the principal Hamos warrior. having Weer, the
people had risen senrinst those who were left behind,
and put them to death. They also acquainted her
with the supposed fate of her lover. As she was
already Penmsded of his death, the information
that he had eticsped by a voluntary act from the
cruelty of his rival, gave her a mournful satisfac-
tion. As a ehieftainess of rank 'they carried her
directly to the manly, where all the remaining
Nobles, who had survived the treacherous attack of
'raid's, were immediately to assemble to regulate
the government of the island.
" As she approached the spot where several chiefs
had already met, she perceived another ;party ad-
vancing to the place in another direction. 'rhos was
the French Captain and his crew, with two other
persons, one of whom instantly attracted the eyes
of the Diminished Mamma. At the seine mo-
ment he flew to meet her, and it► the next was in
her arms. She clasped the hying Malolii ; she
could nut mistrust her senses, but her excessive
joy was too powerful for the weak state to which
she was reduced, and she would have fallen sense-
less to the ground but for the support of her
lover. He, who thought her dying, uttered frantic
cries, which happily reaching the ears of the French
seamen they ran to the spot, when a surgeon among
them instantly comprehending the affair, promptly
bled the fair Mumma, who soon recovered to life,
and love, and happiness.

The assembled chiefs, after' lamenting the de-
struction of most of their order through the treason
or Taiufa, found that the oink of illainassa was
such as to entitle her to the sovereignty. They
therefore declared her Queen. and appointed an
early day fur her marriage with 51111011 i, which took
place accordingly, and conferred on I the
royal dignity. The wretched Taiollt was rue-
mated by the French, as an example to the con-
trivers of *Millar treachery. May the reign of film-
lohi and &lantana be long and prosperous—their
lives virtues and happy !