CRUISE TO SOME OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC ISLANDS. (FROM A CORRESPONDENT.) Tonga, July 10.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8080, 19 September 1894, Page 4

CRUISE TO SOME OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC ISLANDS. (FROM A CORRESPONDENT.) Tonga, July 10.

We loffc Auckland on bbc 4tb ina^., and after tho faret day, on which « good many of the paßaengeru were co ■ fined to thoir oabioga wo had a uplond rf passage, patting the ieland of Pylstoa t on Sunday morning, the 9bb. Thle ia an loland uninhabited now, but at ono time (a few years ago) there wore two or three hundred people on it, whon a Peruvian ehlp came along aod kidn napped a good many of the Wanders for Peru, to mik in tho silver mme 1 . After this, the King of Tonga, t whom the inland belong^ brought them away to Tonga. We arrived otf Tonga on Sunday ni^ht, and thfa morning Bbesmed inbo the harbor, paßßing og the way 13 or U Urge and email islets, and brought up ftt the jetty about 8 o'olook. Tbo man island (Tonga) la fibonb 15 miloe wldo by 42 long. I f , and iodood all of those islands, is completely covered with oocoanut trees, ■which aoem indigenous to the coil vhlle Tonga is also a veritable garden offlhraba, boaring flowers and leaves of all colors, principally brighb red, purple, and yellow. Tho town fa laid out in avenuea, for they can hardly bo called streets, The housea are built of wood, bowo of them very nicely. The King's Paliico and Woaleyaa Churoh aro within the same onoloßure, tbe grouuda boing tautofully lad out with tropic *1 plants of all eorto, such as will only grow in hot-boueea in New Zealand. The ohuroh la beautifully fixed op inside, and vory neat outfiido, The Kiog'a panoe fa, of oouree, the most preteDtioua building in tho plaoa It 1b built of wood, two etoreya high, with a oup r la on top. Native guards J» uniform moroh sentry at the en- 1 trance, flo that no unballowod fee t may enoroaoh on the eaoredneaa of majeaty. However, having roceived en introductory letter to the British Vice. Consul (Mr Leefe), under whose win? wo raanußed to secure an introductioo to bio Majosty, King George 11. Ho IB not at oil a bad upeoimen of the genus homo. Ho otanda 0(t 4in, Bits in a high-b»cked chair, wibh a largo gilded orown on top (of the chair, nob bid head), and a chair on eaoh side of him, after tho eamo pattern as bio, bub emaller, and placed about cix inches below the level of h'B. Seorobary of State Watkino Bat on his the right. Ho conversed with ua mostly through Mr Watkiow, although he understand English, having been educated in Auckland. Ho told nu that, the lato king, Georgo J, waa 102 whoo he died, be know, becauflß tbo old man used to tell of Beeiog tho ship " Port-au-Prince" ■wrecked on tbe island of Vavau, another of tho Tongan group, (which we expcot to arrivo at 10-0)orrow). Whether thie ifl authentic, I leave you lo fiod out. Thia man ia not tho eon of tbo old rmn, but a far off relative, having had a omra n greatgrandfather. I caw h'B ftitbor, a roul toff, in fcbe broudoat of broadcloth, In wh'ch he aeoraod ill at ease, but waa a very ploaeont old obap. After ag»in Bhaking handd with hio Majouty, we bade him a long farewol. Ho did not knight auy of us. J ouppoee be did not think of it. His prodeoeeoor wan o good man, and pouoo loving. I ami told that at the outbreak of hoßtilitios, on one occaoicn in Europe, ho o*llod his parliamoot together, and told thorn that having conoiilorscl tho quoutioo well be had decided to remain otriotly neutral. ■ Thoso Tongans aro ac stalwart and fina looking mon as I ever caw. lion»jointod, awpple, fllnowy, I bbink Tennytion muet have soon them beforo be wrote Lookfllcy Hall. They weik along with springy Hkep, etruigbt and upright no a poplar, and muoolos and calvof) on them that tbe beet built Highlander would onvy. They eeom tory happy, theao people. Tboy eoem to do nothing bub enjoy life. There nro ohiefo of brlbou, but no rich or poor. Baoh child is entiilod to a pieco of land (enough to supply ito wan'H during ibi life), alroad in full profit, witbpub planting or flowing, It in olv/ay^ harvest time. Nataro haa been very Icind to tiem. All property (viz, Jland) in veoted in the King or G)vetn u moot. If tt natlvo dioH without leaving ouildren of bio own bho ptoperty gooi back to the Government, and no land ia sold nb all, tho white res'dento all having lo3«Bholdp, except one aborofeoepor, an old sailor, residoob tbero fo^ % jtaro, married to a Toogan, He holdw bio title from tho old King, on the aatno terran ag u native. They export bananae, eomo orangey fcut thg fjreab eourco of revenue ia Copra, and from appearances tho oupply of th's art'ele of oommeroe is practically gnexbau tblo. It io sent principally to Fienoh porto, in fihip loads at a time. Tbe oil \n extracted and tho Ifpfuao ueed for fattening' cattle and j Other purpose 0 . I flaw them preparing, It for nhipmenb, Tbo kernel of tho ooooftnut iv cat in ebripo about half an i'toh wide, and opread oob on a plattotm to dry by tbo euo, and when tuuiougbly dry, is ready for shipment. Of comae it ia ft case of fi'flt catching the h to, The cocoanuta grow at the very fcop of tbo trees, and bho troon Bro from fcrfcy to Boventy feet high, and Ihereforo no em<l jib to rctohthe top, but it id wondo'ful to ceo tho^o chapo doon it t3 tho, top without stepping Grabbing Iho other eido of the tree with thoir band I',1 ', fhoir feb planted ftgainot thig ado, body out, and away jbbey go to tbo top. I wai tit tbe house of a Mra Whit, c mho, /riondfl of Mr Tliouaeon's^tho oollcotor' of cuatomt?, and' they wlebod to be remembered to him, Indeed, I cponb a most; enjoyable day. , The natives, young and old, in groupo hero and' Ihero everywhere wej went r wero xnoet ftmuHins? *, greeting ua, saluting, ah »lk n? bandy, laughing and frolioing as if life were ono long picnic. „ We have one bundled > or more on board b '-night, deck paaaengorD, going to tbe other islands to see their friendo, and they bave been entertaining us -with tome oaored music set to Tongta, Also tome very protfcy Sootoh aira. There are come realty fiao voioeo among; them, We expoot to bo in Haabai to< mowQW mopsing,

Anohored about 600 yards off ihore' afbor a 130 miles run from Tonga. Everything hero is much after *«o same stylo as Tonga. There is a now palace builb for bho king here. The main island is aboub 7 miloa long by 3| broad, bub surroundod by 15 or 1G small ielots all covored with cocoa and obhor fruit trees, and the foliage of the shrubs is magniticenb, Tho whole patty wenb across tho island, whee we found a beautiful sandy bouch, a eloping reef running oub on a gentle elope for < about #00 yards. To day hos been a repetition of yeßtorday. Weighed anchor about 3 o'clock and stoaraod tor Vavau, 80 miles distant), where wo arrived at 7 o'clock. Vuvau is tho last | or mosb norbherly possession of bho Tongan king. Ib has a splendid harbor, larger and more commodious than Sydnoy, for there is deep water in every direction. The entrance to the harbor and all around ib is stuJdod with islands, large and small, of volcanic origin, rising straight from the water's odge, and tho tops and all about the slopes of those islands are covered with bho overlasbing cocoanub. Oranges are here in profusion, and of good qualiby; bub bhey, unlike the cocoanub havo been imported. The population is 5000, while that of all throo groups, comprising the Tongan Kingdom, amounts bo 18,000. Vavau, unlike the other groups, has several highlandn and small mountains, tho highest being about 700 feob high, disbanb aboub threo miles from the little town. Wo got horses hero, paying 4s for tho day. Wo rode these to the foot of the mountain and tied them up, and climbed to tho top. What a beautiful view broke on us as wo emorged from the brush on to a small clearing on the top. I wish I had the descriptive power to do ju«tioe to the econe. Whab a panorama ot beautiful bays, islets, all round bho harbor, which here and there outside tho sea is gently "breaking over tho coral reefs. ♦'Every prospect pleaeos," etc, but we gob tired of this oven, for ib was getting nGar raidduy, and the balmy zephyrs wore getting too pronounced We took a abort cut to the low ground, down a rift in tho mountain eide, where tho solid rock had been burst open. This route was moro certain than safe. However, wo got down all right, and our friend from Hawkes Bay produced a flask of something which wo mixed with the milk of a cocoanub, and I can asasuro you ib was very refreshing ; indeed, it goos good with cocoanut milk. Our guide cooned that tree, hand ovor hand in tho mosb approved style, and brought us six or fovon. There was about a quarb and a hulf in each. Wo then got aboard our fiery steeds, and made for tho other cud of tho ialaud, along a fairly good road, except whore tho scoriso cropn out, playing the dickens with the horsou' feet, they having no shoos on. Wo visited a fresh water cave, a natural wall oi about Gvo foot in thick - now nnd six foot high separating ib fom tho tido. It forms into three caves, E.,cb cive runs into tho land aboub 40 or 50 feck They aro about three freb above aoa level, and perfectly frosh and /It to drink, Tho temperature of tho ocean is aboub 70 dogreoa ; of tho air, 08 in tho shade. The lurid here is very rich, being a rod greasy loam. In every way ib is p etty much tho eamo as the other islands. There aro sovoral traders hore soiling goods of all sorbs, and buying copra for shipment; inJoed, Ll) is would bo a good place to make a living in, and nob «. bad pace to live. The Taviuni left) tho wharf at i o'clock, and stopped opposite the cave. Tb'o ship's boats were gob oub, and wo all went bo see this wondorfnl cave, and it was worth going to see. i shall nob try to doscribe it. Wo are off to Sinooa, goodbye. Farewell to thoso boaU'iful isles of tho sea where the fourth of the month novor comoa — no bills current and none receivable. No complainb whero man does nob vex his folllow-man ; no unemployed question, no rich and none poor; wbore tho wonts -of everyone aro already provided for to-morrow, tho day after, as (o-day. Ib reminds ono of the question of Truthful James : "la civiiisa* bion a failure, or is bho Caucasian played out?" Wo will be ob Apia bo morrow. Tbo purser goes nshore at G to catch tho mail for Auoklaad, and I will send this along.