Lea a e Tohi -- The Reading of the Book

Right now, just by reading this blog, you are engaging in witchcraft.  That was the opinion, anyway, of Tongan warlord Finau Ulukalala II in the early 1800s when he encountered writing for the first time.  William Mariner, Finau’s stranded captive from the captured Port Au Prince, documented the fascinating event in his book Tonga Islands.  I think about it every time I pass  our town’s sports field, called Lea a e Tohi, or “the reading of the book.”  If oral tradition is correct, then my house is within shouting distance of where the following passage happened:

[Finau had just come across his first ever letter and someone had attempted to explain to him the mysterious script pp.92-93]

This mode of communicating sentiments was an inexplicable puzzle to Finow; he took the letter again and examined it, but it afforded him no information.  He considered the matter a little within himself; but his thoughts reflected no light upon the subject.  At length he sent for Mr. Mariner, and desired him to write down something:  the latter asked what he would choose to have written; he replied, put down me: he accordingly wrote “Feenow” (spelling it after the strict English orthography)” the chief then sent for another Englishman who had not been present, and commanded Mr. Mariner to turn his back and look another way, he gave the man the paper, and desired him to tell what that was: be accordingly pronounced aloud the name of the king, upon which Finow snatched the paper from his hand, and, with astonishment, looked at it, turned it round and examined it in all directions; at length he exclaimed “This is neither like myself, nor anybody else! Where are my legs? How do you know it to be I?” and then, without stopping for an attempt at an explanation, he impatiently ordered Mr. Mariner to write something else, and thus employed him for three or four hours in putting down the names of different person, places, and things, and making the other man repeat them. This afforded extraordinary diversion to Finow, and to all the men and women present, particularly as he now and then whispered a little love anecdote, which was strictly written down, and audibly read by the other, not a little to the confusion of one or other of the ladies present.  It was all taken in good humour however, for curiosity and astonishment were the prevailing passions.  How their names and circumstances could be communicated through so mysterious a channel, was altogether past their comprehension.  Finow had long ago formed his opinion of books and paper, and this as much resembled witchcraft as anything he had ever seen or heard of.  Mr Mariner in vain attempted to explain.  He had yet too slender a knowledge of their language to make himself clearly understood: and, indeed, it would not have been an easy matter to have explained the composition of elementary sounds, and of arbitrary signs expressive of them, to a people whose minds were already formed to other modes of thinking, and whose language had few expressions but what concerned the ordinary affairs of life.  Finow, at length, thought he had got a notion of it, and explained to those about him that it was very possible to put down a mark or sign of something that had been seen both by the writer and reader, and which should be mutually understood by them; but Mr Mariner immediately informed him, that he could write down anything that he had never seen. The king directly whispered to him to put Toogoo Ahoo (the king of Tonga, whom he and Toobo Nuha had assassinated many years before Mr Mariner’s arrival).  This was accordingly done, and the other read it; when Finow was yet more astonished. He then desired him to write “Tarky,” (the chief of the garrison of Bea, whom Mr Mariner and his companions had not yet seen; this chief was blind in one eye).  When “Tarky” was read, Finow inquired whether he was blind or not.  This was putting writing to an unfair test!  And Mr. Mariner told him, that he had only written down the sign standing for the sound of his name, and not for the description of his person.  He was then ordered in a whisper to write, “Tarky, blind in his left eye,” which was down, and read by the other man to the increased astonishment of everybody.  Mr Mariner then told him that, in several parts f the world, messages were sent to great distances through the same medium, and , being folded and fastened up, the bearer could know nothing of the contents; and that the histories of whole nations were thus handed down to posterity, without spoiling by being kept (as he chose to express himself).  Finow acknowledged this to be a  most noble invention, but added, that it would not at all do for the Tonga Islands; that there would be nothing but disturbances and conspiracies, and he should not be sure of his life, perhaps, another month.  He said, however, jocularly, that he should like to know it himself, and for all the women to know it, that he might make love with less risk of discovery, and not so much chance of incurring the vengeance of their husbands.