THE TONGA ISLANDS. 343 repaired as quickly as possible to its own for- tress, lest it should be taken possession of by some enemy. During the siege, all the women made themselves remarkable by their resolute assistance in the defence of the place ; lest, for want of men, it should be taken by the enemy. The widows of Teoo Cava*, however, were so afflicted at his loss, that many of them, it is said, strangled themselves-]-. At this time, Toobo Malohi sent word to his
- Speaking of Teoo Cava calls to mind a circumstance,
mentioned in the second missionary voyage, respecting Eliza Mosey and a black woman, both belonging to the American ship Duke of Portland, Captain Lovat Melon ; the date is not mentioned. Through the treachery of Teoo Cava, (who from mistake of pronunciation they call Ducava,) the crew were all murdered, excepting three or four persons, among whom were Eliza Mosey, and the black woman. The latter was still at the Hapai islands when Mr. Mariner left ; she latterly became insane, but lived as a sort of domestic, (being harmless,) with a certain female chief, who treated her kindly. Eliza Mosey became one of the wives of Teoo Cava, who was much envied by the other chiefs on that ac- count, she being a white woman. She made her escape af- terwards, in the Union of New York, and arrived at Port .Tackson, where she remained. Mr. Mariner has since acci- dentally heard from a woman who had been at Port J ackson, that Eliza Mosey returned afterwards to Tonga, with a ship that went for the purpose of laying in a cargo of pork, but which was shortly afterwards wrecked among the Fiji islands, t Mr. Mariner is not quite certain whether this report be correct : for it is an undoubted fact, that suicide is ex- ceedingly rare among them.
