PROGRESS OF TONGA.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 522, 19 February 1876, Page 3

PROGRESS OF TONGA.

The New Zealand Serald says ;—“ Civilisation progresses, for we are in receipt of two newspapers issued at Tonga, which is under the rule of King George. First we have the Tonga Times, which commenced to illumine the Pacific on the 22nd of January. The imprint is as follows ‘ Printed and published by Charles Hewer Rawson, at the Government Printing Office, Nukualofa, Tongatabu.’ The first page, which is a very small one, is filled with advertisements, chiefly announcements of the sailing of vessels. We are told that the Government schooner Taufaahau sails regularly from the Friendly Islands to Sydney, that the brig Vision is the regular New Zealand trader, that Captain McKenzie runs vessels regularly between Auckland and the' i? Friendly Islands, and ‘ invites inspection of his goods, which cannot be surpassed’; and then we have an advertisement ‘the German fleet of Messrs J. Cfesar* Godefiroy and Sons.’ One advertisement is , headed 1 Industrial School, Tonga,’and in it we are told that the managed, Josiah Vane; and the secretary, Attunaisa Taufa, of the institution, ‘are prepared to take contracts for the building of cottage%e'fsß.* The next advertisement is, ‘ GorAaunent Bank of Xonfft,

incorporated by Royal Charter, 1875 ; capital, 50,000 dollars, with power to increase.’ The advertisement is signed ‘J. P. Millar and John Mataele, secretaries,’ Tonga also boasts of a ‘phottgrapbic artist, by appointment to his Majesty King George Tubau,’ but he announces that hia visit is drawing to a close. A ‘ Government Savings Bank ’ is also advertised, and a ‘ City Commercial Restaurant.’ The first news article is, as a matter of course, headed * Ourselves,’ and in it the editor says, * We desire to bring the Friendly Islands more prominently before other parts of the world.’ In the same article we find the following ; ‘ We believe that, when the actual position of these islands is properly made known, they will have the sympathy and admiration of all well wishers of native races. For in no other part of the world do we think there is to be found, amongst native races, the same desirable state of things as are to be seen in Tonga—that of a native race relying upon its own innate strength, trying to raise i! self as a Government amongst the nations of the earth. Its progress during the past few years has been rapid in the extreme : raising itself from a dependent mission to that of a self-sustaining Church, providing and supporting its own ministers and agencies, and giving also men and money to send the Gospel to the adjacent heathen islands of the South.’ The motto of the paper is ‘ Tonga for Tonga.’ The Times ‘ goes in for ’ Free Trade and Education, and the editor declares that ‘we believe in a Voluntary Church, as now exists in Tonga, free of all State aid.’ Tonga is far advanced, but evidently the Tongese have entered into a land league, supported by the Times, for this article says :— 1 We hope the day will never dawn on Tonga when one inch of Tangan soil shall be alienated by purchase from the Tongese.’ He, however, advocates the leasing to lona Me settlers. The supplement to the Tonga Times is principally occupied with an account of the annual district meeting of the Methodist Church of these islands, which was held at the Wesleyan Church at Lifuka, Haabai, The account is exceedingly interesting. We quote some paragraphs from the news columns : “Suicide of a Native. —ln the whole history of Tonga we only remember to have heard of one native who may be said to have deliberately committed suicide; and that was a young man who was disappointed in love, and threw himself from a nut tree. But we have to report the determined suicide of Timothy Tuimoala. It appears he had been found stealing the yams of a native teacher. His father reproved him for it, and told him that he would not have anything to do with a thief like him? The young man seems to have been so thoroughly ashamed of what he had done, and unable to bear the presence of his friends, that he went into the bush, asid having got the bark of a vine, called in the native the vaalai, tied one end to one of the top branches of a tree called the fetaanu , about 22 feet high, and with the other end fastened round his neck, threw himself off the tree. Death must have been instantaneous. Before committing suicide he wrote a letter to his father and friends, on a pala • lafa, or branch of the nut-tree, of which the following is a translation :— ‘ I, Tuimoala, send my love to you, Santau and Taufa. I have become a bad wretch, and I have no longer any wish to live. lam dead. lam hung. My love to Anna and Levani, and all of you. My love, my love, my love, my love to you all. You remain behind. Great is my weeping in my love to you all. Love to my weeping.’ “ The ‘ Boobooi.’ Subscribers to this native paper (Koe Boobooi), are respectfully Informed that the non-appearance of the journal for the past two months, is owing to the paper having run out. A large quantity is daily expected from New Zealand, and immediately after its arrival the Boobooi will make its re-appearance. “ The contents of the first Tonga Government Gazette are of importance. The attention of the community is drawn to an Act respecting trading licenses, to an Act to Regulate the Selling of Bread, to an Act to Regulate Butchers’ Licenses. Quarantine laws for Tonga are also published, and it is notified that Mr John Scott has been appointed health officer and pilot. We are also informed that ‘his Majesty has been pleased to command the publishing of the following appointments:’—Members of the Privy Council are then given. Under the heading ‘ Ministry’ we have the following names:-—Premier, Prince David Uga; Treasurer, Jemia Mafileo ; Minister of Lands, Kaliobasi Malubo ; Minister of Police, Lekonaia Tuuhetoka.

“We shall be glad to hear of the welfare and continued peace of Samoa, and of the prosperity of our contemporary.”