Notes from Nukualoea.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 23 July 1910, Page 4

Notes from Nukualoea.

MY A WAIRARA PA VISITOR

From Mr C. J .Jury, of Pukengalvi. Ponatahi, who is on a trip to the Pacific islands, the Wili Hlra pn Daily News lias received the tallowing interesting letter:— "I nin sending you a lew notes from Nukualofa, the capital of Tonga. In company with Mr I l '. 11. Wood, we hoth had a splendid it rip over, and a very sociable lot of passengers made the trip enjoyable. We landed at. Nukualofa, capital of Tonga, on 25th June, a Saturday morning, lour day's from Auckland, and took up our lodgings at the only hotel in Nukualofa, keplt by Mr Bryant, at C 2 per week. M r Bryant makes us very comfort able for a place like this." Meat is Is lid a lb. Mullocks and sheep are brought, over from New Zealand alive and killed here. There is a good opening for .a moat trade here. The nativts are very fond of meat (f am given to' understand) if the price was within their reach. Although the island seems to be alive with pigs, of the Captain Cook type, as far as I have seen there is no other source of meal' supply on the island. There are very few birds, fowls or duck's. Tie.' natives are a fine type, strongly built, and ni'anly. The women are good looking, robust, st-rang a.ud healthy. Men and women all walk very erect, which is called the Tonga 'swagger.' There is no artificial, tight-lacing or unnatural contrivances to put nature out oi shape, 'these people are in wanT for nothing. They have everything they require, the cocoa out and other tropical fruits, and tubers of many kinds, which provide with loed, clothing, buildings and money, without much toil. They have no care of toil or hardship depicted on their faces, and they ;.re quite independent- of anyone. They are religiously inclined, and there are many churches in the count-rv. Ihe I 1 ree Church is the principal church of Tonga. The Hev. Mi \\ a I Ivi n formerly of Wellington, is president. In the early d.avs he was with the late Mr John Martin, lie expressed regret at not meeting Mr W. Martin when visaing these islands last mouth. Thenare two colleges and many schools, but lew of the natives speak English. Their language is much like the Maori. 1 can understand a great many words. In fact I could speak it in a few days, if T made up my mind >to go iu for it. They are very clean about then habitations. On Saturday they clean up ail rubbish and burn it. Their sanitary arrangements are also very good for natives.

Tin' Government is erevtin.u' ling* water itanks in almost e\"ery settlement, lor public u.se. The 11f>!tlin<i. capacity of liie.se tanks won hi i«. from 1000 to 71100 gallons. They' a.iv built of concrete. with a roof, and tlie water is caught from the buildings (rain water). The banks are partly under the ground air! partly out. A lon;.' pump is fixe:! outside each tank, with a pipe runnins through the wall I'm - the watei to be drawn ofl'. The well water lierc is very brackish. The only hlll u" Headed, 1 think, to make these, tanks very much bettor would be to .attach a .small tank, for the water to filter through .sand, charmi!, and a little lime. (\ intend to erect one of these tank'.s for my own use when 1 return.) The staee.ts of Xitkualufa are not quite up to date, but 'the Council is at work, and, T think, within a very short time they will have them in apple pie order. i cannot ,«ay niucli for some of their (-nun:ry roads, but they are much the same n.s some country roads of the: Longbusli of sixteen years ago. Toillci is an ideal country. There is almost everything a person ,'s in need of, and he has only to sit down and watch the fruits and coroanuts grow, which are very productive, almost without any labour. Copra is bringing from L2U to L' 27 per ton, I am told, in the !.:t.' .ii market.. The land is all owned by the State, and let out t;> Toucans at a leiil'al of from -Is to Ss per acre per year. A Tollman cannot have le.s.s than eight acres of laud, which is fpn'le capable of providing lor the wants of himsell :i:i:I family all their lives. I must say in regard to the treatment we have received from the people (whites) of Nukualofa, they

hiive L^iveil ns every c<nisic't'!•.■!tio-i ;i nf! courtesy, invitiny us on ali >id;s to afternoon tea, etc.. mid makintr us extremely welcome I'Vel'.V where. Ifis Majesty the Kiii'j; of invited us to his palace, .ami rec.'ived ii.s with erery courtesy. nirl 111:1 jiy questions. Tie placed lii.s buggies, horses and co.achman nt our service. His ISTn.jesty i.s 11 very fine looking 111:1.11. over Oft in lieiiclilf, but rather well Iniilf in ->rop:irtir> 11 to li:s Wo cannot thank the peop!" .siiT'cientlv for the kindness thev li:»v»» shown us sin:e wo have I>v:■ n )ir.>Tb ij Mritish mnn-o'-war Cambrian came in on Tuesday. .am! we were invite:! imi hoard to lunch. Had a verv i n ioyihie tiint« with the captain and officers. Th" man-o'-warsmen ! 1 7 r 1, n ffJO'Mirill match with a team of Tonsilns. mid the natives nroved too troor] for .Jack hy 1,1 to 0. Jack ;i!_so tried the willow, hut at- tlnwickets the Toucans ;ilst> came off he"t witli 1M runs to 32 and 11. Tl'eu sailors, still undaunted, tried Rm<vi»<r , a j K | n moi'-crt they ''"orcd a sncces.s. Tlie takinsr.s are to create a fund for the protection of and prevention of crueltv to nni•inls. which i.s InrTly wi titer! liere. f"' "oinrr hv the Tofua to Sail!":! on the 19th. —T am etc.. , , , <"'• J. JURY, rniv s. mm.