Hypphwl

This is the Finow described by Tokiukamea (William Mariner's account), who was at that time about the mightiest chief of whole Tonga. Yet when Mariner became his adopted son in 1806, his powerbase was limited to Haʻapai only. Tongatapu had descended in anarchy after his murder on Tukuʻaho, and although he raided it a few times, and made a pact with Tākai, the chef of Pea, the latter deceived him as soon as he turned his back to the island. Concerning Vavaʻu, this he had effectively lost to his younger brother Tupouniua, even though the latter was supposed to be his governor there only. So Fīnau was not too sorry, probably even accomplice to it, although he officially denied that, when Tupouniua was murdered in Māhinafekite (Tongoleleka) in 1807. But then his aunt Toeʻumu called herself the Tuʻi Vavaʻu, entrenching herself in Feletoa. He raged a war on her, around late 1807 or 1808, but after months of skirmishes was not able to defeat her. He then made peace, which gave him then essentially a share in the Tuʻi Vavaʻu title.

Having found that Vavaʻu was a better place to stay than Haʻapai, he left the latter islands to his ally, Tupoutoʻa for him to govern as his governor. But after Fīnau's death, his son more in for an isolationist policy, Tupoutoʻa became essentially the ruler of Haʻapai, which as such would form the core of the empire to be built later by his son Tāufaʻāhau.