American Professor’S

Opinion Of Tonga

Letter to the Editor, from Truman G. Yuncker, Professor of Botany at De Pauvo University, Greencastle, Indiana, USA.

MY wife and I have recently re turned to America after a visit of several months’ dura tion in Tonga, where we were carry ing on a botanical survey of the group. This work, ..involving the collection of plant specimens, re quired the spending of various periods on several of the islands, extending from Tongatabu and Eua, in the south, to Vava’u and Vina fo’ou in the north. Our work brought us in contact with a wide variety of the Tongan people, ranging from the Royal family and the nobility, to plantation workers.

In a recent Pacific Island Monthly, I read a very critical letter by Mr.

Pawson (who was in Tonga at the same time we were) giving his ad verse reactions to the people and the conditions, as he found them in Tonga.

Our impressions were so different that I was strongly inclined at the time to write a letter of rebuttal to show that not all visitors held the same views as Mr. Pawson. In the issue just at hand, Mrs. Mathe son, of Vava’u, states, in a very excellent fashion, much of what I had in mind. We agree entirely with her in her interpretation of the people and conditions in Tonga.

We found the scenery of the dif ferent islands very interesting, varying from the low coral type, such as Tongatabu, Lifuka and others, to the higher and more rugged islands, as Eua, Vava’u, Kao, etc. Each island has its own type of beauty, if one is receptive to it.

The harbour at Vava’u, with its many scattered, small, seagirt islands, is indeed one of great beauty. The view from ’Utulei, situated at the entrance of the inner harbour, where Dr. and Mrs.

Matheson have their home, is one of the finest to be found, and the panorama viewed from the summit of Talau is superb.

The Europeans in Tonga are comparable with any group of similar size one would find any where. We received uniform courtesy and friendly helpfulness from every one with whom we had any deal ings.

Naturally, the food, living condi tions, morals, and outlook on life of the Tongan people differ greatly from our accustomed American ways. But why not? We do not feel that, because they are dif ferent, they are necessarily bad. We found an occasional Tongan of questionable character, but that percentage here in America, I am sure, would be as high or probably higher. One suspects that some of

the bad characteristics might have been adopted by an imitative people from European examples.

At the same time, we came to know many Tongans whom we con sider to be exceptionally fine per sons and whom we are glad to have as friends. Our stay with the “Friendly Islanders’’ was a most pleasant one, and we would wel come an opportunity to return.

II Ulimila Bula, a woman teacher at Adi Cakobau School, Fiji, has been awarded a scholarship which will allow her to study for a Bachelor of Arts degree at Canter bury University College, Christ church, NZ. She is the first Fiji woman to go overseas for University education.

Noted Ethnologist Dead

The rev. father wilhelm SCHMIDT, SVD, one of the world’s outstanding ethnologists, died at Fribourg, Germany, in Feb ruary, aged 85. Father Schmidt was stationed in New Guinea for some years, and much of his scientific work was based on studies made there.

H Mademoiselle F. Girard, anthro pological assistant of Professor Valois at the Paris Musee de I’Homme, is bound for New Guinea, where she will take part in field work being undertaken under the direction of Professor Elkin, of the University of Sydney.