ost
beautiful birds, of all imaginable kinds, as well as with abundance of
hogs; and all of these creatures were immortal, except when they were
killed to provide food for the gods. But the moment a hog or a bird was
killed, another live hog or bird came into existence to supply its
place, just as happened with the fruits and flowers; and this, so far as
they could ascertain, was the only way in which plants and animals were
propagated in Bolotoo. So far away was the happy island supposed to be
that it was dangerous for living men to attempt to sail thither in
their canoes; indeed, except by the express permission of the gods, they
could not find the island, however near they might come to it. They
tell, however, of a Tongan canoe which, returning from Fiji, was driven
by stress of weather to Bolotoo. The crew knew not the place, and being
in want of provisions and seeing the country to abound in all sorts of
fruits, they landed and proceeded to pluck some bread-fruit. But to
their unspeakable astonishment they could no more lay hold of the fruit
than if it were a shadow; they walked through the trunks of the trees
and passed through the substance of the houses without feeling any shock
or resistance. At length they saw some of the gods, who passed through
the men's bodies as if they were empty space. These gods recommended
them to go away immediately, as they had no proper food for them, and
they promised them a fair wind and a speedy passage. So the men put to
sea, and sailing with the utmost speed they arrived at Samoa, where they
stayed two or three days. Thence, again sailing very fast, they returned
to Tonga, where in the course of a few days they all died, not as a
punishment for having been at Bolotoo, but as a natural consequence, the
air of that place, as it were, infecting mortal bodies with speedy
death. The gods who dwell in Bolotoo have no canoes, not requiring them;
for if they wish to be anywhere, there they are the moment the wish is
felt.[97]

[93] Captain James Cook, _Voyages_, v. 423.

[94] Captain James Wilson, _Missionary Voyage to the Southern
Pacific Ocean_, pp. 278 _sq._

[95] Quoted by Miss Sarah S. Farmer, _Tonga and the Friendly
Islands_, p. 131. As to Veeson, see _id._ pp. 78, 85 _sqq._ The
title of his book is given (p. 87) as _Authentic Narrative of a
Four Years' Residence in Tongataboo_ (London: Longman & Co.,
1815). I have not seen the book. The man's n