The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-08 00:00:00

LATER INTELLIGENCE FROM

OTAHEITE.

SKIRMISH BETWEEN THE FRENCH AND NA-

TIYES.

The Favourite, South Sea whaler, lately arrived, brings news
fourteen days later from Otaheite. A skirmish had taken
place between the French and the natives. By means of a tele-
graphic communication which the French have already esta-
blished in the Island, orders were cosiveyed a day or two be-
fore the Favourite left to one of the French steam-frigates,
then lying in the Bay of Papeete, to embark troops and pro-
ceed to Tairapu, forty miles distant, and situated at the
other side of the island of Otaheite. At the time of starting
she had 150 soldiers on board. This order is supposed to have
been caused by an outbreak, the particulars of which, as far
as could be gained, are as follows :
A number of the natives who now live in encampments up
the mountains since they have been expelled the town, were
seated taking a quiet meal, when some Frenchmen came upon
one party, consisting of two chiefs and their wives, and seized
hold of the women, whom they attempted to drag on
board their boat, then lying moored on the beach a short
distance off. The chiefs resisted this aggression, and were
immediately shot. A third chief then rose up and ex-
claimed, "What, are we dogs, that we arc treated thus ?
We are a quiet people, and wish for peace, but you will not
let us have it." Whereupon the French fired at him, but,
missing their aim, he gave the signal to the natives for an
onset. At the first charge 15 Frenchmen were either killed
or wounded, and a second attack almost immediately taking
place, between 30 and 40 more of their number were killed
or disabled by the Otaheitians. Soon after this transaction
had taken place, it was reported that many of the French
had deserted, saying they had only been brought out to be
shot at. The men generally do not seem at all contented,
for they appear half-starved and are badly clothed. The re-
gulation that no one is to be allowed out after eight o'clock at
night is strictly enforced against the natives and foreigners,
but the French themselves seem to pay little or no attention
to this order.
Just as the Favourite was getting under weigh the crew
saw the French steam-frigate return from Tairapu, but the
wind being favourable for their passage, and they having
been delayed a long time, they did not put back to learn
whether any more fighting had taken place.
When the Favourite left, a French whaler, commanded by
an American, had been detained twelve days at Otaheite,
and was still there waiting fur dispatches for the French Go-
vernment. The Favourite brought dispatches to the Govern-
ment at home. She had a very quick passage.
The following letters from the island, dated March 29, ap-
pear in a French paper, called the Courier de la Gironde.
They were brought by the Reunion, a South Sea whaler :
" The affairs of Otaheite are getting into a worse and worse
condition every day. The natives are in open opposition to
us, and engagements have taken place at East Point. The
island has been in a stale of siege ever since the 3d, and the
natives assembled in the mountains constantly threaten our
establishment. A French sentinel was attacked. and dis•
armed by some of them on the night of the 2d, and the men
of the post having pursued them, one was taken prisoner.
On being interrogated, his declarations compromised
Mr. Pritchard, who was arrested and confined in a
blockhouse. The captain of the English steamer after-
wards procured his liberty, on giving his word of honour,
and engaged himself in writing, not to land him on
any point of the Society Islands. The Charte frigate
arrived at Papiete, March.l6, with a reinforcement
of a company of infantry for the garrison, now composed of
a company of artillery and three companies of infantry. The
sanatory state of the troops in the garrison is satisfactory,
notwithstanding their labours and watchings The natives
have with them in the' mountains a number of adventurers
belonging to all nations, and several English convicts, with
which the Society Islands are much infested. A deputation
from the islands of Morea and Eimee lately came to the Go-
vernment, protesting the devotedness of the people of those
countries to the French. These envoys declared that they
were entirely strangers to the disturbances that had broken
out, and offered numerous presents to the Governor. The
aforea is the island on which the French flag was most recently
~0
this step, the Queen yielded to the advice of some
,*ated, and is one of the most considerable of the Society
who inspired her with doubts as to the in-
tentions Nearly all the property of Queen Pomare is in it. On
of the English. As her privy councillor, Mr.
ol efairlierin gta
Pritchard,. was no longer present to excite leer to an ener-
getic resistance, she sent a feminine embassy to the Governor,
to endeavour to make a compromise. M. llruat would not
enter into any terms. He intimated that Pomare must sur-
render at discretion. We do not know whether the Queen
will accept this, but it is generally expected, and then tran-
quillity will be restored—the departure of Pritchard will then
have produced its fruits. The Gambler Islands, where the
apostolic labours of the French missionaries have been
crowned with the most happy success, are about to be added
to the French possessions in Oceania. The tri-coloured
standard has been raised there, and the people demand a
garrison of French soldiers. It is intended to send them a
company of the 6th Regiment of Marines, as soon as all is
quiet in Otaheite. In the meantime, an English sloop of
war, stationed at the Sandwich Islands, is seeking a pretext
to take possession of this group. the importance of which is
vary different from that of the Marquesas, the Society, and
the Gambier."

The letter of the Emancipation of the same date says :
"Hostilities have commenced. The. entrenched camp at the
Bay of Taravau, near Tarabou, was attacked on the 21st. On
that. day, about two in the afternoon, two shots were heard
from the direction of the hill on which the first advanced
sentinel was posted. Captain Mariani, of the staff, comman-
dant of the bay, immediately sent out two parties—one of
voltigeurs, commanded by an officer, the other composed of
sailors, under a midshipman—to make reconnoisances in the
ravines that run down the bay. The sailors, having an In-
dian for their guide, fell into an ambush, and received a dis-
charge, which they returned with but little effect, because
their guns had been loaded for three or four days, and the
weather being damp, many of them missed fire. The sailors
beat a retreat over the coral rocks and through the brush-
wood, under the fire of the enemy, which killed one man and
wounded another. Captain Mariani, hearing the firing, sent
out an officer and thirty men to cover the retreat of the
sailors. At five o'clock, another attack was made upon the
same hill, on which ten men were then placed, and to whom
a reinforcement of thirty was sent. The moment these came
up to the position, the natives decamped. Soon afterwards,
a line of fires extended in a curve round the fort, from the
back of the hill to the Queen's dwelling, showed the number
of the assailants. They returned a well-directed discharge
from a double rank. Forty voltigeurs deployed as tirailleurs,
and, taking excellent positions, ably seconded the musketry
of the fort. A howitzer, weßserved, directed its grape-shot,
on the points where the tire seemed to be the best sustained ;
and the Embuscade sloop, moored about a quarter of a league
from the field of battle, threw with success several shells,
and gradually caused the enemy's fire to cease. It was now
seven o'clock, and night came on, consequently it was impos-
sible to pursue our foes through the impracticable ravines in
which they sheltered themselves; but shots were repeated
till after midnight. On receiving the first intelligence of
these events, the Governor embarked in the steamer Phaeton,
and came to the point. Our loss has been two men killed, one
carried off by the enemy, and 'seven wounded. The loss of the
insurgents cannot be known ; but, on the following day, five
dead bodies were found. We reckon that they must have
had 50 men put hors de combat."

A MomTEA TRAlN.—Yesterday morning at half-
past eight, the train which started from London-bridge for
Brighton consisted of forty-eight carriages, containing six-
teen hundred persons, and propelled by four engines. The
majority of them were parties going to Brighton Races with
the cheap excursion tickets, which were issued this morning
And will be continued during the races, at half the usual fares

GREAT

ANTI-CORN-LAW LEAGUE