Vickipedia

FRIENDLY ISLANDS, as distinguished from the Fiji Islands (q- v-)> generally reckoned a part of them, are otherwise styled the TONGA group. They lie to the south-east of Fiji, and consist of three sub-groups, of which some 30 islands are inhabited, Tongatabu being the largest. The great majority are of coral formation; but some are volcanic, and there are several active volcanoes. The people are the most intelligent and skilful of the fair Polynesians, but are decreasing in numbers : once reckoned at 40,000, they do not now exceed 10,000. A treaty with Germany in 1876 granted a coaling-station; and a treaty with Great Britain was concluded in 1879. The F. 1. were discovered by Tasman in 1643, but received their collective name from Cook. Both these navigators found the soil closely and highly cultivated, and the people apparently unprovided with arms. The climate is salubrious, but humid; earthquakes and hurricanes are frequent, but the former are not destructive. Among the products of the islands are yams, sweet-potatoes, bananas, cocoa-nuts, bread-fruit, sugar-cane, the ti, hog-plum, &c.; some corn also is grown. The Flora resembles that of the Fiji group; but the native animals are very few.

The F. I. were first visited by missionaries in 1797. In 1827 the work of evangelization fell into the hands of the Wesleyan Methodists, and after a lengthened and perilous struggle with the savage paganism of the inhabitants, it was crowned with success. Almost all the islanders are now Christians; great numbers can speak English, and, in addition, have learned writing, arithmetic, and geography; while the females have been taught to sew. The various islands used to be governed by independent chiefs, but nearly the whole of them are now under the rule of one chief, called King George, who is not only a Christian, but a zealous preacher of the gospel.