THE RELIGIOUS QUARREL AT TONGA.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1232, 9 October 1885, Page 3

THE RELIGIOUS QUARREL AT TONGA.

The correspondent of the ‘Fiji Times/ writing from Nukualopa, on August 6, says : Much of interest has occurred since I last wrote The return of the consul was a slight, restraint upon the Premier, but not sufficient to prevent active persecution being used, up to a short time after the King’s arrival.

No attempt has so far been made to mliess any of the injuries inflicted o i either the people or the Wesleyan Society. IN o chiefs have been punished for tax lands restored. Church property, with the exception of one church broken open and seized since the King’s arrival, is still in the hands of those who in defiance of treaty obligations forcibly seized it. Some four weeks a-o people were startled in their sleep by the sound of canon, the signal of the King’s arrival at Fafa, the quarantine island, three miles off. During the night boats kept tailing in close to the shore, and their occupants amused themselves by firing off rifles against the wharf before going to the place of rendezvous. For some time previously the whole of the in-ha-itauts of Tonga had been ordered down to Nukualofa, nominally to attend a festival; really to be submitted to a system of intimidation which if I was to detail to people who did not know the state of society obtaining here would be inclined to think was, from its outrngeousness, impossible. Baker kept the King at Fafa from the Friday night he arrived until the following Monday. During the interval his emissaries, the Government officials, made most strenuous efforts to stamp out Wesleyanism. House to house visitation took place, and last appeals and supposed to be final meets ings took place between relatives. At 10 o’clock all Tonga was hunted on to the beach to be present when the Haabai and Yavau people landed. Looking from the church hill the sight was a very pretty one—the sailing in from Fafa of the fleet of G8 vessels and boats. A printed programme was issued, and a portion of it was an oulcr for the King’s party to fire ofl all their guns and rifles as soon as the King landed. The good sense of a chief in the King’s confidence prevented this being done, and diicctly the fleet dropped anchor ho went round in a dingy with an order that not a gun was to be fired. After the King had gone to his house, the Tongans were allowed to leave and the Haabaians and Tuvanans came on shore. Every rusty old fiiearm that could be made to work was brought, and a nice collection of firearms from flintlock up to Martini-

Henry rifles was forthcoming. I took the trouble to look at a number, and they were all loaded Clubs were another promising feature. Curiosity b lyers have pretty well drained the islands of old ones, though I notice a lew, and most of those brought have been manufactured in obedience to the King’s orders public’y issued some time ago at Haabai and Vavau. American axes, however, were the weapons preferred, and a profusion of them decorated with fan ribbons were forthcoming. Thetralo f>r axes in Haabai and Vavau mast lately have been good, for lam told that every man was ordered to bring three Everybody was on the tiptoe of expectation as to what was next to happen ; but nothing of moment occurred until the usual Wesleyan Church s *r« vice was held on the Wednesday morning. A. crowded congregation at* tended, and the rowdy element of the visitors got up a counter demonstration and continually discharged their guns while the service was going on On the Thursday evening public criers went round with orders that the Wesleyans were to go to the King on the Friday morning Greater or less brutality was displayed by these men, who, by the way, are directly responsible to the Premier, I have heard from reliable people that the order's were given in different forms. 1 heard myself that any person who had died that day and was still uuburied was to be taken.

The Wesleyans all met before daylight on Zion Hill, and held a special service, and it was one of the most impressive sights that have been seen for some lime. The chinch was crowded and the brow of the hill on which the church stands was covered by kneeling supplicants for help from above for strength to submit to the ordeal which thev expected to undergo. From 3000 to 4000 persons attended. After an address which brought tears into the eyes of the hearers from the two Wesleyan missionaries, the people left in a bodv to goto the King, and were then told that nothing like fighting or massacring would occur, but they must join the new church. This they steadfast!/ refused to do, and as they numbered so many, and evident ly were not to be intimidated, it was considered inadvisable to drive them to extremities, but recognising that discretion is the belter part of valour, the rage of the adversaries expended itself in harmless threats. So matters now stand, and the sittings of Parliament shortly to be held is looked to as the event from which may be expected the next important developments.