VICE-REGAL TOUR

Northern Advocate, 19 April 1933, Page 2

VICE-REGAL TOUR

AMONGST THE ISLANDS,

TONE AN 1’1*0(11 JAM M I

HI,A BORATE R ECEPTIOX

(By Radio. —Special io Press Assn.)

TEALS. DIOMEDE, April 17

An excursion to tin* Stonehenge or Tonga, known as Haamonga, was made today by their Excellencies the Gov-ernor-General and Lady Bledisloe and members of their party ns guests of the Government of Tonga. It is believed that Ha ain on ga, which is a trilithon, was built by a Tongan king- about 1200 A.D., the method followed being similar to that used in the construction of the Egyptian pyramids. It consists of three huge blocks of stone, two being upright and one crossways, the latter lilting into grooves on the top of the vertical stones. A short distance away are the tombs of ancient kings, where

massive blocks of stone are used. The visitors were accompanied by Queen Salote, the acting Prime Minister, Ata, many prominent citizens and public ollicials. A formal reception had been arranged on a most elaborate scale. The guests spent a perfect day amid picturesque and beautiful surroundings attended by hundreds of Tongans arrayed in their holiday glory. It was a scene of peculiar and appealing beauty, enhanced by the lovely setting of svlvan glades. While the guests were at luncheon in a. specially built pavilion, which was a work of art, relays of Tongans presented national dances with amazing grace and precision, singing their songs most melodiously. Little children took part in the entertaining, numbers with a degree of gravity which was conspicuously absent from their light’hearted seniors. The singers chanted the praises of Tonga and its monarclis, past and present, and did not omit courteous tributes, to the disingnished visitors.

Presents of tappa cloths and other articles were made, and the visitors were decorated with, fibre and arrayed in floral adornments such as are used on festal occasions, eventually returning from the scene in very gay attire indeed.

His Excellency, Lord Bledisloe, in an appreciative speech, thanked the Queen and her Government for the kind reception and generous hospitality. Especially gratifying to him, he observed, was the excellent, feeling of the people towards England and the .British Empire. He w r ould have the greatest pleasure in informing His Alajesty of the cordiality with which his representatives were received as guests and given such an enthusiastic and picturesque ■welcome.

The Diomede sails for Vavan at four o’clock this afternoon.