NEWS FROM TONGA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 269, 13 November 1893, Page 2

NEWS FROM TONGA.

NATIVE POLITICS.

FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT,

(FROM OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Nukualofa, Novembe»s, The state of Tonga ever since the outbreak of measles has been one of Bomnolencfc On the 2nd October, at a very early hour, there was a violenb clanging of the great bell which calls the Council together, There was a sudden meeting of Ministers, all Government officials were ordered to resume their offices, the magistrates ware required to open the courts, and the police told that they must wake up and go their rounds as usual. Ab the same time tha Treasury was reopened, and payments resumed. This tardy resumption of Governmental functions by the Ministry did not satisfy the King. On the 28th October he returned to Nukualofa from Kntbkt, to the great joy of the people of Tongatobo. He Ha* summoned a Cabinet Council, which will be held during the ensuing week. 'It is believed thab the present Ministry will be dismissed, and a new Ministry summoned, with Lateki as Premier. Mr C, D. Whitcombe, late of Auckland, has been offered, and has accepted, the position of Secretary to the Tongan Government, and his appointment will be confirmed at) the Council meeting.

The measles have now quite disappeared from Tonga, though the death rate is ttill high from the prevalence of dyientery v a sequel of measles. So far as I can learn, the total number of deaths since the oktbreak, and attributable solely to meaales and its sequels, have been: Tongatabu, 533; Haabai, about 300 (rather over than under); and Vavau, some 200.

The month of October has, unfortunately, been fertile in accidents of a fatal char* acter.

On the 13th October a man, while fishing, blew off his hand with a dynamite cartridge. The bones of the fingers were actually blown ittbo and imbedded in hii face and throat, and had to be extracted with a knife. The man is said to be doing well, bub there ie danger that he will die of lockjaw." On the 17bh October two whaleboats left Mr A. M. Campbell's whaling establishment, at Fafa, under charge of Mr George Cook, Mr Campbell's manager. One of the boats, manned by Tongans, sighted a whale and went in pursuit of it. Nothing was heard of the boat till the 20th October, when it was found on the reef off Ninaonolo, the point to the extreme west of Tonga-,, tabu. The boat was standing upright in water, with centreboard broken, but all gepr in her with exception of three oars, the whalo line and one harpoon. The whale line had been pulled through the preventer, stay. The mast and sail were over the Bide, but an oar had been stepped into the place . of the mast with a native's clotheß tied to the end, as though in guise of a signal Of distress. Nothing has since been heard of the four Tongans who were in the boat, and, as all the islands of the group have been visited in search of them, it is evident that they taunt have all been drowned. This is the more to be regretted at it) has broken up Mr Campbell's whaling for the season. He had gob two whales—some ten tons of oil—and mighb reasonably hare ex* pected two or three more, as whales have been plentiful in the vicinity of the island. On the 30th October a boat returning to Ena from Kologa capsized in ft'squall, and all the natives on it, eight in number, were drowned.

Copra has reached a hitherto unprecedented price. It is now rnling at 101b for li i.e. £11 4s per ton. This iB mainly theresuit of rivalry between two firms. itJM been suggested that it would be a good spec to import copra from Samoa and ekf where and sell it in Tonga.