TONGAN ROYALTIES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1061, 25 February 1911, Page 5

TONGAN ROYALTIES.

ISLAND AFFAIRS. ' There was littlo enough of royal stato about a visitor who arrived in Wellington yesterday by tho Auckland mail., but nevertheless ho is a prince and lioir-apparont to an island kingdom. His namo is Tungi, and he is a son of King Georgo Tobou II of Tonga. Tho princo is stottt aud thick-set, and quiet taste. Good humour and strength aro tho leading impressions ho gives. "Ho would mako a fcharapion • -three-auarter back," commented a bystander, and tlio comment was not inapt. Apparently &o princo does_ not insist on staid ceremony or a slavish adherenco to Court etiquette. His private secretary has a pleasant littlo way of talking about "mo nnd tlio and tlio naivo departure from traditional usago is not lacking in an element of chnrm.' ~

_Tho prince has come on .a visit to Now Zealand in company with his father, King George, who is at presont in ,Auckland. Interviewed in that town, tho King ,spol;o interestingly of conditions prevailing in tho islands over which ho rules. "Tho commercial aspect," ho said, "is very encouraging. The copra output last year has established a record, and this lias had a marked effect on imports, which have also increased. Wo havo spent a considerable sum,, of money in purchasing machinery for developing tlio country, but whether it will provo to bo a profitable undertaking for Tonga remains to be : proved." King Georgo also mentioned that tho Islands had just passed through a measles epidemic, but fortunately the knowledge pained from tho serious _ outbreak in the nineties in the'main centres of tho group had rablcd them to combat tho sickness with a very low mortality.

"The outlook at present is very encouraging," added King George, "nnd if wo are spared a hurricane there is every probability that the present year will eclipse all records, both in export nnd import trade." • Princo Tungi left last evening for Sydney by tho Maram.i. en route for London. It is possible that King George may visit Wellington prior to returning io Tonga. Tlio island monarch visited Wellington six years ago.