TONGAN NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 15, 18 January 1901, Page 2

TONGAN NEWS.

UEGATTA AND SPOIL'S

LAND-GIiAHIHNG" DIXARY

ENTUAOII-

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

NUKUALOFA, January 12

The first week of the new century was one of sport and festivities in the capital of the Tongan Empire. On Xew Year's Day Hi* wind was too light for sailing races, and was also in a bad quarter for the starts, so the towing events were decided iv the morning, and sports held on the shore in the afternoon.' Parties of natives had come down from Vavau for the occasion, and (heir native dances were very much in evidence. To a European mind these performances savour of childishness, and become fearfully monotonous, but the Tongans regard them as the highest musical treat, and sit and listen for hours to them. Music is supplied by several men. armed with sticks, win beat on a lot of bamboos fastened together, with a hide wrapped round them. The performers, principally women and girls, si I in rows on the "thss. The leader sits in Hie middle, and she begins a chant, which is taken up by ail the voices in unison. All the time that the singing goes on the women move their hands and

arms in various gestures in time to 1 lie music. This is the one redeeming feature of ilie show. Some of the mot ions are exceedingly graceful, and ihe precision in keeping time to the music is remarkable. Towns and districts vie with each oilier in these performances, and a good deal of rivalry is created thereby. Another of their dances, the "Lakalaka." is a little more lively. In Ihis the players are standing, and they turn and twist, advance and retire, and perform various evolutions. For real excitement they cannot for v moment compare with a Maori war dance. A troupe of Samoan girls, rather scantily clad, gave a Samoan dance, partaking somewhat of the nature of a ballet. The native 'races were disappointing in most cases, the obstacle race giving the closest finish. The bicycle race was a procession, the European winner being far too good for the Tongan who competed. The. weather was all that could be desired for the holidays.

The estimates for the current- year arc issued, and the amount of revenue from all sources is set down at £20,900, showing an increase over last year of about £1500. The chief source of revenue is the poll tax, which is expeeled to produce £9000, and this is closely followed by the item of £8200 for custom duties. The balance is made up of such items as leases, licenses, post oflice, court fees aud pilotage nnd harbour dues. The first thing noticeable on the expenditure side is the fact that the civil servants have had _."> per cent, restored to their salaries. The reduction was made when the Government was hard-up, two years ago. nnd the change to tbe old rates will, no doubt, be a popular one. It goes to show that the country is in a good financial position. Glancing over the sums allotted to the different departments, it is noticed that provision has been made for the appointment of a medical man in Vavau, and another in Haabai. Hitherto there has only been one medical officer in the group, and he is stationed in Nukualofa. The Europeans in the north will be glad to have a doctor in their own towns. Royalty costs this little kingdom the sum of £2472 for this year, while the '"army" is put down at £490. Public Works gets £ IG'JO, so there won't be many roads and bridg-es, and certainly no railways out of that. Education absorbs £2490, while tho item for police and justice' runs into £4207, seeming to show that schools do not train up all the young Tongans in the way they should go. Perhaps the most interesting vote on the whole estimates is the last, "Things Unforeseen, £600!" It would be quite a. refreshing change to see a balancesheet issued at the end of the financial year, but that has not occurred in Tonga for a good many years. 1

The monotony of life in Tonga, has been a little broken this week by an attempt at "land grabbing," on the part ofa newly-formed religious sect in this town. The. devotees of the new faith wanted an allotment on whicli to erect a tabernacle, and demanded.one from the Tong-an Government, g-ivingf 24 hours' time for the selection. Failing a satisfactory answer to their rerecpiest, they would complain to the British Government, ns their Apostle claimed to be a British subject. To this mild demand the Tongan Government returned a polite but decided refusal. Now there was an old woman in the town who had a lot in the centre of the metropolis, and as she wished to . live with her married daughter (the "mother-in-law" trouble even in Tonga) she gave the charge of this allotment into the hands of a youth, some distant relation of hers. This young man gave it to the new church to put up their building upon, and they carted stones and timber on to it, and commenced operations. Then the old lady woke up to the fact that her rights were in danger, and appealed to her King and Premier for protection. The first thing done by the Tongan Government was to scud up a gang of prisoners to fill up the holes dug for the foundation pdsts. Then they went in the early dawn of the morning and carted the timber and stones on to the next lot, which happens to belong to one of the new religionists. At the same time a gang of lads from' the College were put on to build a Tongan house for the old dame. Many hands made light work, and about three hours saw the house built and thatched. Mats were brought, and the old lady was installed in triumph, no doubt to the relief of her son-in-law. Then some half dozen native police were left to watch events. The contractor for the new building, a European quietly went on with the job of preparing bis timber -on the next lot. When this was finished he went to replace the stones and pegs on the original lot, and then the fun began. As fast as either he or his man carried a stone on to the lot, a policeman would come along and solemnly carry it bS again? As they dug holes the n nion of the law stood by, and shovelled the earth back as fast a* it was thrown out. There was no illfeeling. When the builder, m despair, sat bn a stone on the coveted lot, two policemen came, and while one lifted him carefully, the other removed the offending stone. At last the builder left the place! The Government have the law' on their side in the matter. No native can sell, dispose of, or deal in any way with his land on his own responsibility. Not an inoh of land

has been alienated in Tonga yet. and it is not likely thai an exception would he made in this case. The matter will be probably thrashed out in the High Commissioner's Court, as the builder intends suing Ihe police for assault, while they enter a cross-action against him for trespass.

The barque Lotos sailed for Europe on January Bth, with a full load of copra- She is the only foreign vessel in this month, besides the regular steamers.

Another of the European residents died on January 3rd in the person of Mrs Hamilton. The deceased was 57 years of age and had resided in Tonga for a vi_'ry long time. She had been a gi-eal sufferer of late years, and death was a happy release for her.

A native chief mimed Fakutia died very suddenly on January sth. lie had apparently been in the best oi health up to the morning of his death, and had been assisting at the sports on .New Year's Day. lie went, otilsidc his house to give some orders to his men, came in again and sat down on a mat, and fell back dead. The body was taken to Mini, where he belonged, and he was accorded a funeral with military honours on the 7th inst.