A.—3b.

6

long anticipation. The Tonga men are better fighters than the Samoans; are better trained in the use of arms, and are more extensively supplied with them. Every Tongaman w Tell knows when he goes to parade with his fireiock and pouch, that all this marching and drilling, this paying of tax to buy muskets and cannon, is not meant for any mere purpose of display, but that it is the preparation for a long aud cruel strife, in which powerful chiefs, well accustomed to the horrors of war, and well provided with the means of its prosecution, will enlist their partisans against each other, to decide by force of arms who shall be the successor to the present King, who, from his extreme age and infirmity, may be expected to die any day. Yet, though all understand what is about to occur, they are reticent as to their individual intentions ; few men caring to declare, even to their friends, which of the candidates they purpose to support. The case stands thus : —King George was apolygamist and had many children. When converted to Christianity, for which he has displayed much zeal, he divorced all his wives but one (of course, the youngest), thereby bastardizing all his elder sons. These purpose to fight for the succession, each having followers and supporters. David, among the rest, declares his intention to strike a blow for the sovereignty ; and, to introduce a still more formidable element of discord, Maafu, who claims the kingdom of Tonga on pretence of being the bravest man in it, will, as he says, throw his sword into the scale, and bring into the field not only all the old companions of his former wars, but a horde of merciless Fijian allies, who will repay with interest upon the unhappy inhabitants of Tonga the wrongs which their countrymen have inflicted upon Fiji. From the geographical conditions, the transport of the combatants must be conducted by sea, and European merchants, who have experience of the trade of the group, and who consequently perfectly comprehend the situation, have been for years back anticipating the explosion, and making preparations to supply the material of war in this struggle, which they justly regard as inevitable. Those who are acquainted with the history of the sanguinary civil strife which followed the introduction of Christianity into the Friendly Islands, will readily understand what the nature of the conflict wili be. It is lamentable to think that a people possessed of qualities so amiable, and in many aspects so worthy of respect, should be delivered over to a reign of violence and bloodshed (in which none can hope to profit but merciless conquerors and unprincipled speculators), at the very time when, having recently emerged from barbarism, they have shown so great progress in the arts of peace and the knowledge of God. Surely, it seems the manifest duty of whatsoever great nation is now most interested in the prosperity of Polynesia, to take some steps to avert these calamities. One would think that if no other consideration would influence Her Majesty's Government to move in the matter, the question of the security of the lives and the property of British subjects located in the Friendly Isles (and the number and amount are very considerable), ought to sufficiently demonstrate the necessity of intervention, before it be too late, to arrest the progress of events which tho whole civilized world cannot fail to deplore. The firm of Godeffroy, in Tonga as elsewhere, confine their attention chiefly to the trade in dried cocoa-nut (or kobra, as it is called there, though it has other names in different groups, such as popo and taka taka). They will purchase oil if it comes in their way ; but they prefer the dried nut, upon which the profits are greater, for the reason that they can buy it at a cheaper rate, and when transported to Europe (Hamburg and Bremen being the principal markets), where it is crushed in hydraulic presses of enormous power, they obtain from it a quality of oil altogether different from that which can be manufactured in the Pacific Islands by any primitive or inexpensive method, being clear, colourless, and free from any rancid taste or smell ; in addition to which tho residue of the substance of the nut, after crushing, is sold to great advantage as food for cattle, in a form similar to that of the linseed cake which has been for many years in so great demand. Among the other products successfully cultivated in the Friendly Isles, the most notable are coffee —of which there are several extensive plantations—cotton, arrowroot, and tapioca. Among the indigenous products, one most worthy of attention is the Tui-tui, or candle-nut, which grows wild all over the group. It contains a great deal of a valuable oil, which is well appreciated in the English market. It is fine and clear, and burns with a bright flame. No use is made of it by the natives, except to polish woodwork or to burn in lamps. It is used also as candles, the kernels, which are about the size of those of a walnut, being strung upon a thin slip of wood and burned like a torch. The croton oil plant is also indigenous, but has not been utilized in any way, excepting for fences. There are some deposits of pearl shell in the Friendly Isles, but the shells are commonly small. Pearls of fine quality but not of large size are often obtainable at a very cheap rate. Hawksbill turtleshell, or "tortoise-shell," as the traders persist in calling it, is not so plentiful in Tonga as in Fiji. Green turtle is, however, very abundant. It is a mistake to suppose this shell of no value, as at the present time the manufacturers of Europe readily buy all manner of shell, no matter how thin or broken up it may be, for the reason that they have a process of melting it down into sheets, and afterwards cutting it into all sorts of articles of use and ornament by machinery. Fungus of the kind called Taringa More is obtained in Tonga, and is usually purchased by traders at 10 cents per lb. for transport to China. Beche-de-mer gathering is an old-established industry everywhere in this latitude. There are three kinds—the red, the black, and the gray ; the last is of the best quality. They are well cured, but not usually sorted or separated by the natives, who sell them to the traders at a rate per barrel corresponding to five cepts per lb. The market value of this article in China has lately fluctuated between £60 and £100 per ton. Sperm whales are common at certain seasons in the Friendly group ; indeed, of late years, a pestilence has been caused several times by the natives feeding to excess upon their carcases. Among the vegetable products of the Friendly Isles, a very remarkable one is the Masi, or Tappa tree, from the bark of which the native clothing is made. It is propagated by cuttings grown 2 feet or 3 feet apart in plantations. It is allowed to grow from 10 to 15 feet high, when it is about the thickness of a gun-barrel. It is very possible that it might be successfully cultivated for the manufacture of paper. It is probable that the bark of a species of banian very common in the islands, and of