The Express.
London, England, 1851-02-22 00:00:00

ROTEMIAII TIR01!4 AND HER BRIDAL.

A very singubar mob= }mails amongst them : all vir-
gin. arrived at the aged pahorty wear their hair cropped
elm., awl plastered with a lenflit made of burnt coral and
the juke of a tree which turns it completely red, or of a dull
foxy e ur ; a stiff white ridge glistens along the forehead.
Th.. name for virgin in the Rotuma!' dialect is waitage, and
}:nglish eintors, with their usual success and good taste.
haw convert...4l it into " white bead," which is certainly
temooviant with the appearance the plaster gives the head.
They an- net suffered to brush the cement out of their hair
until they are married, nor an they allowed to wear it after
the nuptial ceremony has takeu place.
I was present ut one of their marriages. The bridegroom
makes a present to the chief who introduces the bride ; the
friends of the Itridegroom lay offerings of mats, die., at the
fret of the bride, and her relatives make similar presents to
the brat. etesau the happy couple arc seated side by side,
and their foreheads and biotic. are profusely daubed with
the turmeric powder and oil ; pigs and fowls are killed and
mond. and abundance of wgetableseooked ; bowls of kava,
a tier,,. of 'mimetic drink, are prepared, and the friends of
either party are invited to the fe-tiral. If the bridegroom
is A man "(an). consideration, certain of his friends spring
up and he at their heads with clubs and tomahawks, to,
flirting at times such serious wounds as to lay them up
fur months: and some continue to beat thee heads till
the old N. otnen of the party interfere and take their clubs
from do in: The newly-marriesl man makes presents to
those who wound themwlves, and if they continue
payed for any length of time, lie is bound to supply them
with food until they are convalescent. Wbeu the feasting
termimee.. the nuptial tie is complete. After they have
lived together for n few days the wife will sometimes tog
the husbaud to leave her, and he will then absent himself
for three or four month', when he will then again sojourn
with her fur a few days, sad to keep on until she is recon-
ciled to bee with him altogether ; but it sometimes happens
that the wife nduses to quit her relations, and the husband
being , unwilling to abandon his, they separate by
mutual and are at liberty to enter into a fresh con-
tract. The girl. of these dissolved matches are now free,
and they net us libertinely as they please without their cha-
racter being affi'eted ; but adultery in the marriage state is
punished a ith death, so aLoi is the forfeit of vimusity be-
fore marriage.
The narrow escapes, the romantic adventures, the
perilous leaps on 'Emery's Island, and the author's
quarrels with one of his crew, must be passed by.
Events crowd so thickly in these volumes, and they
are all so new, that it is difficult to decide which are
the most interesting ; it may, however, be of service
to many home readers to learn the following par-
ticulars of the relations between Tahitians and the
Eugli,h missionaries located amongst them :
.111,%11),NAILT LABOURS AT TAHITI.
_

I will not sully the pages of my journal with "Wrdilul
the detail. that have been given me, both by natives
European. ; but done tithe of them ba correct, and, na-
fOrtunatelv, I have seen corroborative testimony in some
instanci ~ instead of improving the native character. the
missionaries have superinduced upon their other bad qua-
hypocrisy of the deepest dye. I speak dispassionately'
when I -4, that I conscientiously believe the moral dm-
ratter of the natives has not been improved by stiasionary
intercourse. It is true, that by long sojourning with them
the mi—ionaries hove instilled the cons 'mina et the power
and grandeur of European nations, by this memo laming
their ferocity and rendering them more leargibrm to visit-
ors, and less dangerous to shiwrecked ; but fear,
and not religions restraint, Is the somaning principle. I
du not mention MOM OW will quote even authentic
anecdotes to sampan my amsetions ; bet it is right that the
world should know, and that the maims eq.poefa ef
mir-
aionery exertion sheuhl be smois aapaiaMi midi tie IN%
that there have boon at many wallow as abspirmle sumpt
the fold.; and that many have " atoms W Shia amiedige
without being provided with a wedding praws."
I mention no names, " nor aught an dews is mass r
and perhaps these remarks will not fall he dm pew& Cis