féodalité tongienne, sous la haute suzeraineté du Toui-Tonga. Le titulaire du moment était Aléa-Matoua, appelé Sosaïa depuis son baptême wesleyen ; son nom a été prononcé dans l'exposé de la guerre de Péa. "He arrived in Nuku’alofa which was under the Tu’i Kanokupolu. The Tu’i Kanokupolu was Aléa-Matoua and was baptised by the Wesleyan as Sosa’ia." They visited Aleamotua, who feared the likely displeasure of King George of Ha'apai and Ulukalala, King of Vava'u who had rejected the Catholic faith. Aleamotua recommended that the Bishop go to Pea where the fort of the chiefs Moeaki and Lavaka were the center of the opposition to Christianity. The introduction of the Catholic faith to Tongatapu was the beginning of Thomas' displeasure with Aleamotua as shown by some of his later writing. He blamed Aleamotua for the establishment of the Catholic faith in Tongatapu. Mr. Thomas immediately foresaw many of the sad consequences which have since resulted from this untoward event. It was felt that had Tubou possessed King George's courage and firmness, the evil might have been averted. The want of faithfulness and decision on the part of the king, Josiah, was a source of incessant trouble and difficulty; and the spirit of the missionary at times was almost broken. Furthermore, to add to his perplexity, a Roman Catholic priest was introduced, during 1842, among the heathen people at one part of the island, who had been moved by promises of large presents of firearms and ammunition, if they received the priest. When they found that, after waiting some time, there were no signs of the expected gifts, they showed but little inclination to listen to the religious teaching of their visitor. King Josiah's mental gifts were by no means of the highest class, nor had he had the advantage of early training. His childhood and youth had gone by before he embraced Christianity. Then he was of a peaceable, easy disposition that did not like trouble, and would let things take their own course, in hope that they might perhaps come right at last. He could not bear to see his children chastised for their faults; he permitted disorderly persons to go on in their own way, even in the village where he lived— suffering personal inconvenience rather than give pain or cause offence; and he scarcely ever interfered with the chiefs of Tonga, but left them to govern their respective