Now Ratified

Tonga's Treaty Is Now Ratified

The new Treaty of Friendship, signed last year between Tonga and the United Kingdom, was formally sealed at Nukualofa in May when the official instruments of ratification were ex changed between the Prime Minister of Tonga. Prince Tungi, and the Governor of Fiji. Sir Kenneth Mad docks, who with Lady Maddocks, paid a semi-official visit to Tonga in the government motor-yacht “Ra Marama .

Prior to the visit, the much publi cised ‘‘Ra Marama” had to undergo a sort of purification.

The vessel was despatched from Suva’s Rhinoceros - beetle infested shores to Levuka, Ovalau Island, a beetle-free area, to comply with Tongan regulations whereby a vessel must be more than three> weeks away from an infested port before she may remain at Nukualofa wharf overmghh Normally vessels proceeding from Suva to Nukualofa are required to move well out into the harbour an hour before sunset and not return to the berth until an hour after The Governor and Lady Maddocks joined ‘‘Ra Marama” at Levuka at the end of its quarantine period.

Following the Nukualofa visit and a fr.nr nf Tongatapu Island, a visit was So paid ?o Vavau to the north before returning to Fiji.