NEWS FROM TONGA.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1519, 29 March 1887, Page 2

NEWS FROM TONGA.

Auckland, Maroh 28. Fji newspapers give the following detaus of Tongan news : —

Not a little speculation was aroused on Monday morning, March 6, when it wu known that a sohooner filled with people was m eight, flying the Tongan flvg. Her arrival was awaited with interest, m It was expected that she was the bearer of imp rtant news. She. proved to be the Malukula, of sixty tons with a Native captain and four of a crew, having - Ilk oharge 40 Wealeyans (10 of whom are women) who have been deported from T inga by ordbr f the King. The vessel belonca to the Toog»n Governor of Haabi, and the aooount thu people give of. them* selves is elm ply that they were ordered on board without knowing where they were to be taken, and they have been brought to Fiji against their will. The? left Nukuloafa on February 24, and have made a long passive, m o msequence of their meetiug with li^ht winds and calms. Before their arrival both food and water were exhausted, and the first thing done was to a and them off watar and biscuits. Tbe people temaimdon board till Tuesday afternoon, though naturally very anxious to land, being tired of their long confine* ment on board the vessel ; but they did not care to o«me on shore without some Borfc of permission from the Government, and so remained until they were removed m the police boat. Th ey are apparently quiet, well-oonducted people ; indeed, it is not claimed that they are conspirators, but the captain m ohaw) of them reports that they are deported vaVause they have been disobedient to the kins, m listening to Mr Muulton on roligious matters. He says his orders were to bring them to Fiji, and he was awaiting permission to land them. If thio was not given, or if he were told to take theim away, he would do so m the morning. He was asked, '•Where to?" Hio answer wa« "I do not know." "To Heaven perhapi," it was suggested. ( " No," said he, " not there. These are evil-minded people, and they will go to Hell. " He further reports tbat a second schooner, Palagoro, is fol* lowing him with another b*t:h, and was to have left within a wnek of his deputure. He cays Mieß Baker and Shirley Biker, jinr., are m a fair way of recovery. The sj'noouer brought a small mall, chiefly consisting of despatches for the Govern* ment, and it Ib evident that no opportunity was given for general correspondence.

The " Fiji-Times" of March 19 says :— " By the Suva from Tonga, twenty-nine of the deputed have arrived, and have heen lodged wl'h thote who came by the Malukula. Tbp lohooner Paiagoro had left with a second bfttoh before In Suva arrived, and may be expected here daily.

hi* followin . is a letter of protest add enned to Air Buker by British »übjeoti, resident at Nukuloafa : —

" Sir,— We, the undersigned European residents iv T »^g«, beg to protest against very ranch t!>at has taken place m thii unhappy country since I3tb of last month (Jaciuarj ). We do >/ot wish to expatiate ou the causes which for thrae yean and more hwvo led np to the present trouble We question, Bt the preterit moment, neither the jnat'ce nor the expediency of the late exeoutfonu. The Oourta of Justice h»ve been closed to European!, and we are unable to form an opinion thereon, but we must re*DeotfuUy protest against, and feel rauoh abhorrence at, the fearfnl tray 'n whioh an unoffending population has been treated, both as to i heir persons and property, bat whfcb, In a country governed by a professedly C iriatlan and oiviliaud people, should be under the protection of 'he lairs. We have the less hesitation m thus protesting! as their sole crime has been, as far as we know, .a natural desire to remain adheronta to the religion m wbioh their fathom, perhaps grand fathers, wire born. Wt» have the hoior to bo, sir, your obedient servant. (Hero follow twenty. two signatures )