TONGAN SKETCHES.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1930, Page 17 (Supplement)

TONGAN SKETCHES.

LAST ISLAND KINGDOM

(By

“Faifekau.”)

In the possession of a resident of New Plymouth there ia an old manuscript which provides interesting reading. The writer of it had evidently at , one time been a man of some importance who spent a year in the island kingdom of Tonga. At the top Of the manuscript are the words “printed for private publication” but aa it has never been printed, perhaps there is something wrong with it; libellous statements one suspects, after reading it through.

“Two days clear of Suva and we arrived at Nukualofa, chief town of the island kingdom of Tonga,” says the document. “On arrival we .were greeted with the announcement- that, owing to tho prevalence of measles in Fiji we were' to go into quarantine for thirteen days. ThU was the first intimation I had of the exceeding value that the Tongana place upon their lives. Such measles as existed in Fiji were at least 12 miles up the Rewa river, and we had a clean bill of health for our ship. But none of that mattered to the Tongan Government, so into quarantine we had to go. As the day was Sunday nothing could be done, for an important law of Tonga; decrees that Sunday is the Sabbath, and applies the fourth Hebrew commandment with much vigour. Many large yellow flags, were placed along the . wharf and many corpulent Tongan policemen guarded the Holy island from Aie polluting-touch of anyone who mightpossibly carry on him the scent- of an escaped Fijian Measle. “Next day just as the steamer’s gong was sounding for breakfast wb were put ashore, hungry and somewhat discontented, and there followed much delay, occasioned by lengthy arguments between some members of the party-and the Government authorities on .the subject of breakfast. Finally a scratch meal was arranged and eaten on ’ the wharf, or rather jetty, and then a vilesmelling and very dirty copra • barge came alongside and we went aboard and were towed to the quarantine station which is on the island of Makaha’a, some few miles from Nukualofa. : On Mahaka’a, therefore we lived for thirteen days. The quarantine station is not extravagantly equipped. There is a small s wooden house, which was not nearly big enough for our party of twenty-three; so two or three native huts made of coconut leaves had to be, used. Numbered among us were four Japanese, several Tongans. and a half-caste Tongan. We an Indian as cook and two Tongan gaol-birds for The food was brought over bylaunch from Nukualofa each and, on the whole, proved enough for dur needs. The island is very dmall, and onecan walk round it in less than twenty minutes. It is almdst encircled by a coral reef, and some of our time was spent roaming about this reef studying the varied forms of life that abound. “One last visit from the doctor, one last sucking of the therhidmeter, and then goodbye to Makaha’a, and' all aboard the launch for Nukualofa. /A fine bright May morning, with a cloudless sky and a glorious 'warmth from the tropical sun—with such' dqnditibns to favour me did I make my entry into the realms of her Gracious Majesty, Salote, Queen of Tonga. At the wharf our welcome was of a negative character for we arrived a full hour before wc were expected. However, I was met by JEler Majesty’s" Officer at the wireless station - who took me to his. home and introduced me to his mother and.sister,, and morning tea seemed to make up' for all our sufferings on 'the quarantine' island?' ■ ' •' '

“My reception by. the natives .was a thirtg" by itself and deserves' special mention. The welcome took the usual form Of a native feast. First,'while the food was being prepared came the kava .drinking, A circle was formed, all sitting cross-legged on tho ground, the guest-being allowed a cliair, immediately opposite the person who was mixing ..the Kava.;, The latter took, a pieee-;6f kava root and pounded- it to' powder 'on a large flat stone.- 'This pp\vdered;'stuff‘ was put- into a, bowl -(coeonut); of water? and the rest of the root, looking like a bundle of string, was used as -a-means of mixing the contents of the bowl. All thia was done with the greatest seriousness, all watching the process with due solemnity. ■ When the bowl was ready, the native on my, right called out someone’s-name-and a maiden sitting on the right hand of the mixer-took a coconut cup full of kava to the person named, who solemnly clapped his hands in acknowledge 'ment of the honour. The third cup was for' the guest of honour as by that time two of the Company had' had an opportunity of testing-- whether or. not ‘there was death in. the pot.’ So the function proceeded very'slowly aud'with great •-ceremony until all had had* a drink. -

“Following a round of kava drinking I was ushered into the house of feasting. This was a light structure rather in the shape 'of a pergola, and made entirely of coconut leaves. Presently there came a procession, of natives carrying the food on long frames of coconut leaves, looking like stretchers. These they laid along the whole length of the covered structure, on the ground. AU the natives squatted down and the feasting began. The food consisted of pork, fowl, yarn and other products of the soil, together with fruit and various messes of coconut. No table implements were provided as the Tongan is a child of nature and knows that fingers were made before forks. Speeches of welcome, duly translated, followed. In short, apart' from the Tongan padding, I gathered they were glad to have another ‘father.’ “I made a cautious reply committing myself to nothing for I had a shrewd suspicion, completely justified at a later date, that' by ‘father’ the speakers meant one from whom money.‘and goods could be extracted with ease. Divers Tongan maidens approached and threw at my feet several native mats and pieces" of cloth. It was a tiring and tedious business and I was glad to get away /. .. . ” . . ..... J '• Here the manuscript is broken. Perhaps the writer succumbed to lotus eating or may-lie the native feast was too- much -for him.