The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1875-12-02

prevented by the tyront, but he kept his
secret purposes so well guarded that no
suspicion was aroused,
On II certain night he arranged 80 tiial
his dependents, male and female, should
be prepared % leave Vavaoo at mo.
mchts notice, and all were secretly EN-
barked in boats, with such few necessary
effects as form the domestic surroundings
Of these poor Islanders
The day wes jttst breaking when the
little group of boats pulled away from
the Island. Once fairly embarked, and
couple of leagues from shore, they
feared no pursuit, besides they were or.
ranized and armed so that no ordinary
party sent to follow them would venture
to attack them.
The young chief led the way IN NV
largest boat, steering boldly for the stone
cliffs on the Island of Hoonga, one OF
the Tnaa groupe, and near the spot
where he was 50 often seen III search lol
pearls. In the boat was his aged mother
for he Md ltll none of his family behind
ne Victims to the vengeance Of the tyrant
from whose rule he was fleeing
They were all congratulating them.
selves ON their safe escape, and with 81
little trouble, when the mother said
"Ah, my son, would that YOU had
taken with q Tonga bride; 1t is all re-
prel.'
Il that all you regret, mothcr?" said
the gallant young chief. I" If 50, per-
haps that may be accomplished"
I" 1t is too late"
Perhaps not, he replied,
81 do not understand, my sOt,"
"Hold the boat here" he said.
Ne had now reached the deep water
which laves the prccipitous shores of
Hoonga, and divesting himself Of the
slight clothing which the custom Of the
Tonga Islanders, save the single garment
about the loins, he babe them a brief fare
well and dived from the bcet into The
deepest aea near HE 'liore.
The faces of the whole party were
shrOuded in wonder, What could this
mean? When they were in such haste,
why lose time thus? There was a mys.
terry which they did not understand.
Where and for what had the chief gone
GLOW long he remains in the sea-"
aid one.
at is dangerous" said another
"Who can live 50 long under water"
asked third.
"Hapai can live longer under water,
it is said, than any other man, but no
human being can live 50 long as this"
said one Of tho men in boat, with man
ifeRt trouble in his voice.
At Il moment when his long absence
was causing the greatest constellation in
the boats, few bubbles appeared on the
water, and following them there arose to
the surface the form Of llapai, and in
his arms he bore the lost EOa, his Tonga
bride.
What did il mean? What, had the
beautiful and long missing girl been hid
den beneath the waves? There was no
mistaking the facts; their eyes did not
deceive them, for the young girl en-
braced them all, kissing the wrinklcd
checks of her lovers mother. A hund-
red questions were vociierated at once AS
to whence she had came, to which the
young chief promised to reply anon.
The boats were once more directed
away from the FIJI Islands. The delay
at Hoonga had unfortunately given time
for an organized party to be dispatched
after the fugitive chief and his people,
and the two boats containing the cmisSar-
les of the tyrant could be seen pulling in
the distance.
Hapai had prepared for such an emer-
gcncy, and now badc the people raise the
single sail with which each boat was
provided, but at the same time he or
dcrcd them to keep on using the oars
The pursuers had only their oars to
depend upon, and it was therefore inn
possible for them to hold their own as to
distance; still they pulled ON after the
fugitivcs for some time, until it was only
too plain that they could not reach them
and they were compelled to turn back
and report their failure to the tyrant
whose orders they had attempted TO fill
Hapai and his adherents had made
GOOD their escape, and now the young
chief found time to explain how and
where his young bride had been secrcted
Nearly year before, while diving for
pearls, he had made the discovery of Il
cave beneath the sea, only accessible by
an entrance iathoms below the surface OF
| the waves.
At first he was about to prOmulgatt
his curious experience, but something
whispered to him to keep his secret, and
he did so.
When Eoa was condemned to death
with the rest of the family, he deter
mined to rescue her, at least, from the
number, and to secrete her there. lie
persuaded her to trust herself to him
They entered Il canoe. The place Of hel
retreat was explained to her on the way
These women swim like mermaids. HC
sprang into the sea and she divcd after
him, rising in the wonderful cavern
which was fifty feet long, with natura
galleries worn by the action of the sea.
Here her lover brought the choicest
food and rich clothing, mats for her bed
and sandel wood oil to perfume her body
When he was ostensibly diving for pearl
he was only seeking his pearl of grea
price" his dearly loved EOa. The onl,
sadness she knew was ciused by th'
tragic fate of her kindred.
The boat, under the direction of thu
Young chief, safely landed at the FIJI
Islands, where Eoa became the happ,
wife of Hapai.
Here they remained until the death o
the tyrant of Vavaoo, and they then re
turned to their native land.
The descendants of this happy coupl
still tell this story of how thei ancesto
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