great personal strength, of which he related many remarkable instances.
Through two generations he had been the most devoted and valued friend
of the family of his chief; and upon his wisdom, sagacity, and prowess,
Eiulo's father and grandfather had relied in many an emergency, and
seldom in vain. Formerly, the three islands were independent of each
other, and were ruled by separate chiefs, who sometimes engaged in
sanguinary wars among themselves, in most of which Wakatta had played a
prominent part.

A great many moons ago, as Eiulo expressed it, the chiefs of the two
smaller islands had united their forces against his grandfather, who was
then chief of Tewa, the third and largest. To this enterprise they had
been incited by Atollo, an uncle of Eiulo, and younger brother of the
present chief, his father. This man was possessed of great ability, and
his reputation as a warrior was second only to that of Wakatta, who was
many years his senior, so that among those of his own age he was
considered without an equal. But, though eminent for talent and
courage, he seemed to be entirely destitute of principle or feeling; and
impelled, as was supposed, by a spirit of unscrupulous ambition, (for no
other motive could be assigned), this unnatural son plotted against the
lives of his own father and elder brother. His designs being
discovered, and fully exposed, he fled to one of the neighbouring
islands, and sought the protection of its chief, his father's most
formidable and inveterate enemy. Afterwards, by his address and energy,
he succeeded in bringing about a league between the chiefs of the two
smaller islands, for the purpose of an attack against Tewa, by their
combined forces. The enterprise was planned with the greatest secrecy,
and executed with equal skill and daring. At midnight, the allies set
sail, in a fleet of war canoes, and two hours before dawn they had
disembarked at Tewa, marched to the principal village, where the chief
resided, and made all their dispositions for the attack, which was so
totally unexpected, that it was crowned with complete success. Scarcely
any resistance was made: the principal Tewan warriors were slain in
their beds, or taken prisoners; and Eiulo's father and grandfather, with
Wakatta, only saved their lives by fleeing to the mountains. Knowing
that the strictest search would be made for them, and that if taken,
instant death would be their doom; they stole forth from their
l