the period of his administration. Abroad, he had to struggle with the most gigantic power, which ever raised itself in opposition to the greatness of his country; while, at home, he had to support, at the same time, commercial and national credit, to allay the turbulent spirit of mutiny, to extinguish the raging flames of rebellion, to provide even for the importunate calls of famine. The energies of his mind were most eminently exerted upon those important occasions; and, in spite of internal distractions, he carried the power of the nation to a greater height than ever it had attained at any former period.

It will not soon be forgotten with what industry and effect he applied himself to the management of the revenue, and how speedily he restored order to the confused state of our finances. By simplifying the public accounts, he rendered a subject easily intelligible, which had before been involved in extreine intricacy; and, by pointing out the defects of former plans, and suggesting new and more approved systems, he carried with him the sense of the nation in providing for that heavy expenditure which the peculiar exigency of the times brought upon the state. Nor was he less fortunate in removing, upon difficult occasions, those embarrassments in which the trade of the country was involved, and which, at one period, threatened it with total stagnation; and when they, who, from their habitual pursuits, might have been thought best qualified, and most likely to suggest a remedy for these evils, were lost in astonishment, distrust, and dismay, he dispelled their fears, as it were by a charm,―revived the confidence of

our merchants and manufacturers, and restored our commerce to its accustomed activity and enterprize. The plan of commercial exchequer bills, the establishment of the sink... ing fund, the suspension of cash payments at the Bank, the systemof war taxes, were measures which originated exclusively with himself; and were calculated, with profound ability, to meet the various exigencies to which they were applied. Even his enemies, who were disposed to deny him almost every other merit as a minister, acknow ledged him to be the ablest financier whom the nation had ever produced; and, while they made this acknowledgment, they did full justice to the pure disinterestedness, and the inflexible integrity with which he conducted that branch of the public business.

As a parliamentary orator, bis powers were various. In statement he was perspicuous, in declamation animated. If he had to explain a financial account, he was clear and accurate. If he wanted to rouse a just indignation for the wrongs of the country, he was rapid, vehe ment, glowing, and impassioned; and, whether his discourse was argumentative or declamatory, it always displayed a happy choice of expres sion, and a fluency of diction, which could not fail to delight his hearers. So singularly select, felicitous, and appropriate was his language, that it has often been remarked, a word of his speech could scarcely be changed without prejudice to its harmony, vigour, or effect. He seldom was satisfied with standing on the defensive in debate; but was proud to contrast his own actions with the avowed intentions of his oponents. These intentions,

too,

too, he often exposed with the most pointed sarcasm; a weapon which, perhaps, no speaker ever wielded with more dexterity and force than himself. He admired much, in Mr. Fox, the happy effect with which he illustrated his arguments, by the application of well-known anecdotes, or by pasages from modern authors; but he did not imitate him in this respect: on the other hand, he used to condemn his habit of repetition.

Mr. Pitt's love of amplification has been sometimes urged as detracting from his excellence as an orator; but it was his own remark, that every person who addressed a public assembly, and was anxious to be distinctly understood, and to make an impression upon particular points, must either be copious upon those points or repeat them, and that, as a speaker, he preferred copiousness to repetition. Of his clo-. quence, it may be observed gencrally, that it combined the eloquence of Tolly with the energy of Demosthenes. It was spontaneous; always great, it shone with peculiar, with unequalled splendour, in a reply, which precluded the possibility of previous study; while it fasci uated the imagination by the brilliancy of language, it convinced the judgment by the force of argument: like an impetuous torrent, it bore down all resistance; extorting the admiration even of those who most severely felt its strength, and who most carnestly deprecated its effect. It is unnecessary, and might be presumptuous, to enter more minutely into the character of Mr. Pitt's eloquence: there are many living wit nesses of its powers; it will be admired as long as it shall be remembered. A few of his speeches in

parliament were published by his friends, and some of them under his own superintendance; but it has been observed, that they were considerably weakened in effect by his own correctious; that 'if they gained any thing in accuracy, they lost more in vigour and spirit; and that he had not himself the power of improving, upon reflection, the just and happy expression in which his thoughts were conveyed, as they occurred in the course of debate.

As a public man, Mr. Pitt trusted his character to his public conduct; he rejected those arts and aids to which inferior men have sometimes had recourse to prop their fame; and he disdained to court popula rity at the expence of unbecoming condescension; he never failed to be generally esteemed where he was generally known; but his public occupations did not permit him to enjoy much of the pleasures of private society, and his hours of retirement and relaxation were chiefly confined to the circle of a few friends, which circle he did not seem inclined to extend. Those hours, indeed, were few, for his life may be said to have been devoted to the public service, aud, perhaps, to have been sacrificed by that devo¬ tion; for his health had gradually declined for the last five years of his life; but the vigour of his mind was unimpaired, and directed, in spite of a feeble frame, with the most unremitted anxiety, to promote the interests and welfare of the country. With him, indeed, his country was ever the first object, self the last.

It would be highly unjust, however, to dismiss the character of Mr. Pitt without correcting the errone,

ons impression which has too generally prevailed, that he was, in society, cold, distant, and reserved. So far from it, that, in relation to private life, he was no less amiable, than he was eminent in his public conduct; and, in the company of his select friends, none charmed more by the ease, playfulness, and vivacity of conversation. He possessed a peculiar sweetness and equanimity of temper, which, under all the varying circumstances of health and sickness, of good and adverse fortune, was never ruffled. The victory of Trafalgar, though he felt at it the honest pride of an Englishman, elated him to no unbecoming height; nor did the overthrow of his dearest hopes at Austerlitz, though it affected him most sensibly, sink him to an unmanly dejection. Yet this calmness and self-possession arose not from any apathy or coldness; on the contrary, the varied expression of his countenance, and the fire of his eye, shewed him to be what he really was, exquisitely sensible to every feeling; but they were the natural result of a strong and wellregulated mind; of the conscious rectitude of his measures, and of the happy mildness of his disposition.

The same benevolence and simplicity of heart strongly marked his manners and deportment, which were in the highest degree prepossessing. They bespoke the total absence of any thing like morose ness in his nature. With the most playful vivacity, he assumed no superiority in conversation, nor ever oppressed any man with the strength of his talents or the brilliancy of his wit. It was matter of surprise how so much fire could be muiti.

gated, and yet not enfeebled, by so much gentleness, and how such power could be so delightful. Modesty was a striking feature in Mr. Pitt's character; he was attentive to the humblést, and kindly patient to the weakest opinions. No man was ever more beloved by his friends, or inspired those who had the happiness of living in his society with a more sincere and affectionate attachment. In bis conduct he was rigidly just, and strictly moral; and, as his virtues were greater, so his failings were less, than fail to the lot of most men.

A Day and a Night at Tongata boo, illustrating the Manners and Customs of the Tongatoboos. [From an authentic Narrative of Four Years Residencen at Tongataboo.]

The house of Mulkaamair, with whom I resided, was very spacious; its length was fifty feet. It was of an oval form. One large and lofty post was fixed in the centre; and round it, in an oval circle, were placed less posts, at equal distancès, which formed the sides of the habitation. Upon these posts layers were fixed, to which rafters were fastened, that extended to the pillar in the middle, and united the whole building with it. The inside of the roof was orna mented with warm beautiful matting, which was sheltered on the outside with a skilful intertexture of the branches of the plantain tree. In rainy weather, screens of matting, called Takkabou, made of branches of the cocoa-nut-tree, were fastened to the side posts, which almost reached the eaves, and left

only

only the door-way open, which was never closed, night nor day.

shrewdness of their observations and the good sense of their reasonings. When they were all lain down, the chief would say, "Tou tellanoa.” “Let us have some conversation." Another would answer, Tou tellanoa gee aha, i. e. “what shall we talk about." A third would reply, "Tou Tellanoa papa langee.' Let us talk of the men of the sky." They called us "the men of the sky," because, observ

The household of Mulkaamair was considerable. He had at different times from four to eight wives, eight, sons, and five daughters, besides many attendants. The children were all in great subjection to him, and of different rank and dignity, according to the rank of their respective mothers. For family diguity, in Tongataboo, descends not from the father, but the mother, owing, it is probable, to the frequency of divorce and of illicit intercourse. When the day declined, about seven o'clock, if they were not disposed to dance, they would retire to bed, or, more properly, to recline on their matting.

But when they had retired, the most social employment of the day took place. As they lay reclining at their ease, Mulkaamair and his numerous household, that lay round him, would commence conversations, that amused them till they all fell asleep.

I have been delighted for hours in listening to these nocturnal confabulations, and often very much surprised and improved by the VOL. LII.

the ocean, in the distant horizon, and knowing that we came from an immense distance, they concluded that we must have come through the sky to arrive at Tongataboo.

I have heard them for hours talking of us, our articles, dress, and customs, and entertaining each other with conjectures respecting the distance of the country whence we came, the nature of it, its productions, &c. &c.

Their patriarchal mode of life, in which the younger, and inferior part always surround the chief, as the father of one large family, is calculated much to refine and improve their mental faculties, and to polish their language and behaviour.

The social intercourse and the ceremonious carriage, which were constantly kept up in the families of the chiefs, produced a refinement of ideas, a polish of language and expression, and an elegant gracefulness of manner, in a degree, as superior and distinct from those of the lower and laborious classes, as the man of letters or the polished courtier differs from the clown. The lower orders used terms of a much meaner or coarser import: the higher orders were so much refined, as often, for amusement, to

take off the vulgar, by imitating their expressions and pronunciations. The family of Duatonga, if they spoke to any of the domestics or visitors, would always be answered, “Ahee," "Yes, sire," but most others were answered with, Cohou," "Yes, sir;" this latter term, if pronounced as it is spelt, would be a polite reply, but if spoken as if it was spelt Cohaa, it would be very vulgar, and signify our broad expression What;" if spoken to a chief, the man would be struck down for his rudeness.

is making game of us, I suppose." They called me by the name of Balo.

If one chanced during the night to awake, he would renew the conversation with some neighbour that might happen to rouse, and then they would call to each other till they all awaked, and enjoy another hour's chat.

As soon as the morning dawned, they arose; and then took place the important ceremony of drinking kava, and eating yams, &c. which formed their breakfast; in which as much order and exactness were observed, as in the forming and exercising a regiment of soldiers. The kava is a root planted principally for the use of the chiefs, and too scarce for the lower orders.

It is made into a spirit of an intoxicating nature. The top and branches of this plant are thrown away. The root alone is used, and this is of a soft nature, that may be beaten to pieces. The root is first scraped with a shell, and rubbed clean with the rough husk of the cocoa-nut, and then divided among the company to be prepared for making the liquor.

A large circle is formed by the whole company, all sitting in the same posture, with their legs crossed. The chief sits at the head of it. On each side of him are slationed the tackbangers, or ministers of the chief, to superintend the preparation of the kava. The kava is then brought before the chief. The person who is to mix it, by order of the tack hangers, then splits the root into small pieces with a flat piece of wood, or whale-bone, which they procure from the bodies of dead whales that are sometimes thrown upon the coast. The pieces of kava-root thus split, are then distributed amongst the circle, who hand them to the young people among them who have clean teeth, fit to chew it. Each person has a leaf by him, on which he lays his portion of masticated kava-root. When it is all chewed, a large bowl with three legs is handed round, and they empty their leaves, containing the prepared kava-rool, into it. The bowl is then placed within the circle opposite the chief; and on each side of it are seated two young men, with plantain leaves, to keep off the flies. The person who has the management of the bowl, having received the different portions of masticated root, turns it on one side to show it to the tackbangers, and with his face towards

the