TONGA NEWS Further Particulars of Shipping Disasters.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 76, 15 November 1884, Page 3

TONGA NEWS

Further Particulars of Shipping Disasters.

Tonga, October 17. To-morrow the brigantine Myrtle sails for Auckland, thus completing her last intended voyage— at least for some time— to these islands. Without doubt she has been one of the most successful traders in Tonga, and all concerned must have made well out of her. Owing, however, to the constantly increasing commercial operations of Messrs W. McArthur and Co., the Myrtle has for some time past been found to be too small for their requirements, and is theiefore to be replaced by the three - masted schooner Maile, lately built by Messrs Lane and Brown, of Whangaroa. This fine vesseL will also be commanded by Captain S. Lane, by whom the Myrtle has been so successfully navigated amidst the reels, shoals, and other seen and unseen dangers of these islands for, we should think, the last five years. The Myrtle was but of 170 tons register, whereas the Maile (Tongan for Myrtle), being a much larger vessel, of 300 tons, will be much more suitable for the trade, and very much more comfortable for passengers, her accommodation in that respect being a great improvement on the Myrtle's. It is to be hoped, however, that never— at least under the same disastrous circumstances — will she be called upon to carry as many passengers from these shores as the latter vessel will start away with to-morrow. Captain Lane, I am informed, will have from 50 to 60 persons on board, the greater part being composed of crews from no lest than three vessels which have been totally wrecked among these islands, in a period of about fifteen days.

The Wrecks —Further Particulars. The Reconaissance was wrecked on a reef of a description that might bring the most careful man to grief, there being no break on it whatever at high water ; in fact, the Myrtle, on her first trip down among these islands, made the acquaintance and got on the same reef, and within one hundred yards of the same spot, and it was with great difficulty that they kedged her off. With reference to the Smiling Morn, as far as we can learn, the men had just left the windlap, after tripping the anchor, to attend to the head sails. Unfortunately, whilst they were thus busily engaged, the ship having way on her, the anchor again took the ground, which at this anchorage is most unequal both in depth and foul, and this, of course, brought the vessel up, canted her round, and then the wind, which was rather towards the shore, and the very strong current, put her quickly broadside on to the rocks. The captain of the Elizabeth was a stranger to the group, and was, perhaps, a little too near the land at night, and the wind failing very light, the strong current took charge of the barque, and she drifted on to the reef almost before they thought there was any danger. Unfortunately, her wreck does not complete the li^t of casualties, for on Friday night, September 21, the King's new yacht, the Uga-tagi-tau, was wrecked at Eva. She was anchored off the shore reef, the wind from the shore. At night the wind shifted, chopped round, increased, and before there was time to let go another anchor, the cable was snapped, and in a couple of minutes she was stove in against the edge of the reef, and sank in deep water, there being but little of her to be seen the next day. This yacht was built by Niccol, of Auckland, at a cost of about £1,400. She was about 34 tons register.

General News. Mr A. Middlenriss, who bought the wreck of the whaler Especulador, Captain Irving — wrecked last year in a frightful storm off Haabai — have in conjunction with some of your New Zealand men (the Messrs Cook) been engaged in whaling at Haabai for the last few months. We have certain information that up to September 20 they had ; killed some seven fish, yielding upwards of thirty tuns of oil. The fishing station is on a small island some twelve miles from i Lifuka, and the whole affair is likely to be ; fairly successful. Business has been most remarkably dull • during the last two months, the natives de- . dining to make copra at the price offered by larger firms ; but little money has been 3 in circulation, and commercial transactioi 8 have been very limited. , The Crown Prince on the Ist insfc. gave a kaitunu-paka-joga— in English, a picnic— j to all the Europeans here, and those who accepted the invitations had a high time f of it for " high feasting was there, there," » and what with rifle matches, kisvS-in-th'-ring, taka-taka— or native dances— with > some score of native belles to make the b affair lively, the fun and amusement were ) well sustained during the whole of the af ter- ) noon, and it was not until the shadows were . well lengthened that the company commenced to separate, well pleased with their I day's enjoyment. Prince Wellington came b out well, and did the thing well, and yon may be sure there were some speeches 3 and much drinking of healths.

Wellington has developed on infant prodigy in the person of a little girl not four years old, who is possessed of a memory so retentive as to enable her to repeat poetry as readily as the majority of childien aie able to do at 15 or 18. Ethel Anderson— for that is her name -is a tiny little creature about two feet high, who is almost certain to be heard move of in later years. Her memory is something wonderful, and the feats which she is able to accomplish can hardly be credited. She finds no diiiiculty whatever in committing to memory page after page of poetry, and can repeat sevei al verses of any poem after hearing them once. Her liist appearance in public was made at the anniversary celebration of the John Knox Lodge a week or two" ago. on which occasion she recited "The Little Vulgar Boy," of 24 verses, and immediately afterwards repeated another piece of eight verses, standing on the table for the purpos<j,