TONGA.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5215, 8 December 1877, Page 2 (Supplement)

TONGA.

(From a correspondent of the New Zealand Herald.) Nukuatoi'A, October 15. On Friday evening, the 7th September, the French man-of-war Seignelay, Captain Aub, entered the harbor, and anchored opposite Maofago. The vessel is a new one, not yet twelve months old, 3000 tons, carrying eight large guns. Her steaming power is very great, as may be judged from the fact that, while using only half her boilers, she came up from Levuka (500 miles) in a little under 48 hours. Her business at the present time is to convey the new French Catholic Bishop, Monsiguor Eloi, round the various stations in these waters, on a visit to his dusky flocks, and for that purpose she will, on leaving here, call at Vavau, Samoa, Uvea, or Wallis Island, and sa on to Tahiti, the head-quarters of the F. C. Mission in tlio South Seas. Miss GordonCummintj is also a passenger. The Bishop is a young man about 35 years of age, and report speaks very highly of him as a popular and liberal-minded ecclesiastic. On the following Sunday he conducted Pontifical High Mass in the church at Maofago, at which, in addition ' to the usual dusky congregation, several officers

and white residents were present. The Bishop delivered a short but plain sensible sermon in Tongese. On the day after her arrival the Seignelay saluted the Tonga flag with "21 guns, after which the Bishop and captain with suite, paid a visit to the King, the salute being in the meantime returned by the Tongese. On the following Monday the King dined on board the man-of-war, and was received under a salute of 21 guns. The vessel sailed hence for Vavau on the 12th September, with the Bishop and Miss Gordon-Cumming ag passengers.

While the Tonga artillery were returning the Seignelay's salute on the Bth September an accident occurred to one of the gunners. In his haste to have the gun ready for the word of command to fire, he spilled a quantity of powder over the breach, and when he applied the torch the loose powder communicated with a flask he had in his left hand and exploded, burning his hands and face in a fearful manner.

A batch of prisoners effected their escape last month in an open boat belonging to Messrs. Ruge and Co. We have since heard of their safe arrival at Fiji. One of the escapees was a Fijian named David Masinamoa, who embezzled 900dol. whilst in the Tonga Government employ. He had been tried, and sentenced to pay 900dol. wilhin fourteen days, and afterwards work on the roads, &c, for thirty-two years ! He preferred returning to the land of his birth. The Government schooner Gakau, whose only gun is now in tlie hold for ballast, was sent in pursuit, but she returned in a couple of days afterwards. And it is just as well she didn't overhaul them, or some of her crew would have lost the number of their mess, as the runaways were all armed.

The natives are more than usual on mischief bent just now. Some of them unfastened the painter of the copra boat belonging to the head of the Mission, the Kev. Shirley Waldemar Baker. The fine large boat, which was used for carrying the rev. gentleman's copras, went drifting away one fine evening, and has not been seen or heard of since. The pilot has suffered, and so has one of the German firms, from the natives' desire to possess boats which don't belong to them. H.I. Germanic Majesty's ship-of-war Augusta arrived here on the 4th of October, her business being, no doubt, the ratification of

the treaty entered into. As Mr. Weber, the German Consul, has not arrived from Samoa, and the business cannot proceed without him, the warship will leave hence for Apia tomorrow, and bring the Consul back with 1101-. There are all sorts of rumor.-, extraordinary and otherwise, floating about amongst the whites, and natives too, as to the chances for and against the ratification of the treaty ; and, although the natives would rather not see the treaty ratified, none of those in "high places" dare offer any objection to the will of Mr. Baker and the apparent desire of the King. The idea of the non-ratification—that something will intervene between now and the Ist of November—seems to be strengthened by the fact of the arrival of Maafu and a large party—three vessels—from Fiji. The great chief landed this morning, and paid his respects to the King, but it may be some days before we learn the real object of his visit.