Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/32

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xxiv
INTRODUCTION.

esteemed sufficiently interesting, as it involves a combination of untoward circumstances that led ultimately to the destruction of the ship: the whole of this has been faithfully composed from a journal kept by Mr. Mariner on board. Next follows a narrative, or rather, as it may be termed, a historical account, of all the important and interesting events that occurred during his stay at the Tonga Islands; not merely as they regarded himself, but with an aspect to the different changes, religious and political, since they affected, in a most important manner, the situation of public affairs: and that this portion of the work may be better understood, a comparison is drawn between the state of these islands upon Mr. Mariner's arrival, and that in which Captain Cook had previously found them; in doing which the revolution of Tonga[1], and other important and highly interesting events which had taken place in the mean while, are given according to the account of the

  1. From the "Transactions of the Missionary Society," it appears that this event took place in May, 1799.