Nose-Flautists,

Coronation Fever

Mounts In Tonga

Dancers, Bands

Hard At It

From a Nukualofa correspondent

The crowning of King

Taufa’ahau Tupou IV on July 4 is still four months away, but already coronation fever is rising

in Tonga even though, Tonga

being Tonga, it is, as yet, a controlled, relaxed kind of a fever.

VTDU won't see creased foreheads or boxes of sedatives around Nukualofa.

As Mr. Alf Sanft, the genial manager of the Tongan Broadcasting Corporation, says: “Tonga will cope in Tonga’s way”.

The day of the coronation, the first in Tonga for almost 50 years, is also the King’s birthday.

The King and Queen have recently been to England to order their European-style coronation robes.

Their crowns are ready already, and have been standing on a dais in the Royal Chapel where the crowning will take place. The King’s crown is decorated with a carved, six pointed wooden star cut from the koka tree under which all the old Kanokupolu (temporal) kings were installed at Pangai, Hihifo.

Although the coronation will be strictly confined to invited guests, plans are afoot for a dress rehearsal to which the Press of the world will be invited. This will enable the great public, which, since Queen Salote’s magnificent appearance at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in London more than a decade ago, has given Tonga a special place in its affections, to see as much as possible of the new monarch’s coronation.

The robes for the religious ceremony are based on the corona tion dress worn by British sovereigns.

But for the Tongan ceremony, in volving a sacred kava presentation by the kingdom’s 33 nobles, King Taufa’ahau will wear Tongan dress.

This ceremony may also be restricted.

The rest of the festivities, which will extend over a week or more, will encompass as many of the King’s loyal subjects as possible.

The feasts which will take place

will be so great as to make the imagination boggle.

Each village will contribute its share of the food and each is already cossetting fat porkers and chickens.

Yams, taro and bananas are being almost hand reared to ensure that they give of their best.

And, in the sea, a few yards from the Palace garden, a large pen holds 30 turtles which, if not destined to end up, as the old song has it, as “the turtle in the Lord Mayor’s soup”, will surely be in a soup of even greater notability.

Rehearsals

Everywhere, dancers are rehears ing the lakalaka to produce a dance which will tell the story of the coronation in supple body and hand movements in the way originally taught to Tonga children by early missionaries.

The police band’s practices ring melodiously through Nukualofa on more afternoons than not; and if the Government officials, whose offices are immediately in front of the band’s tiny, circular rehearsal room have to close their windows when they need to make a telephone call of any privacy . . . well, it’s all in a good cause.

The same goes for the “square-

bashing” and rigorous drills to whio the Royal Guard is currently bein put.

Nose-flautists are among othe:; who are putting in some hard won and it is to be hoped that som enterprising person will arrange fo recordings to be made of thee delicate, dawn serenade so that tH wide world may enjoy their miniii ture music.

Everywhere white paint is bein applied liberally; torches are bein fashioned for the traditional flaminjj torch guard which will ensure m evil approaches the monarch; am children are growing wide-eyed i the thought of the fun ahead.

Children are being widely cater© for with a variety of holidays fron school, inter-school sports and picnhi galore.

Rugby battles

Adult sports-lovers, too, are 100 l ing forward with relish to the arrivr of the Fiji Rugby players. Somu thing of the spirit of the battles o the “good old days” seems to H abroad at the thought of the tussle to be fought out between the tw/ island groups on the football fielo of Tonga.

It’s quite evident that no smae measure of prosperity can be expe»; ted from the influx of visitors.

Plans are still not complete, bu no doubt they’ll eventually prove & attractive that more than one visit© in an official capacity will succumn to the charm of Tonga and iii people—like a 90-year-old Americas lady did recently. This womau who celebrated her birthday it Nukualofa, presented the Prino Regent, Prince Tu’ipelehake, with $l,OOO gift for the recently openea Queen Salote Memorial Fund . . for no better reason than she jusi loves Tonga.

The late Queen Salote, at her coronation in 1918.

King Taufa'ahau.