The Palace overlooked Tonga’s lagoon […]

                In one corridor, a small band played almost continuously.  They sang with the warm harmonies of South Seas popular music, accompanying themselves on guitars and mandolines.  The Queen herself was very fond of music and had composed several songs which were, of course, in her band’s repertoire, but their favourite song was ‘You are My Sunshine’, a cheerful number that had reached the island during World War II and had never lost its popularity in Tonga.  We spent a lot of time with the band, either waiting for yet another meeting with some Palace official […] or simply for the pleasure of listening to them and drinking kava.