The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-07 00:00:00

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NEWS FROM OTAHEITE.

FALMOUTIE, SATURDAY EVENING.—Her Majesty's
ship Hazard, Commander Bell, left San Bias, on
January 10, for Oahu, the capital of the Sandwieh
Islands, conveying Consul-General Miller to his
newly-appointed residence, and arrived there March
4th, where Rear-Admiral Thomas, in the Dublin,
was met with, and people employed in getting up her
anchor, the chain of which had been carried away.
The Hazard was ordered, and sailed immediately
thence to Otaheite to deliver dispatches ; and the
Dublin, to sail next day, was reported to hare passed
through the Society group for Valparaiso on the Ist
of April, towards Valparaiso.
The Hazard arrived off the reef at Papeeti May
7th, when a boat was ordered on shore with four
hands, Dr. Veech and Lieut. Rose in command and
in charge of the dispatches. This officer had landed
at Papeeti, and delivered the dispatches to Lieut.
hunt of the Basilisk, who had assumed the official
duties of British Consul, and after remaining on shore
a quarter of an hour, and when about 100 yards
from the pier, on returning to the Hazard,
cruising oft and on, outside the reef, the boat
was hailed from an armed barge belonging
to the French frigate La Charte, and was
ordered by the officer to the "Maison" (the house of
the Admiral), or to the frigate, to either of which he
pointed; but Lieutenant Rose turned his boat round,
and proceeded for the pier, in order to get an ex-
planation from Lieutenant Hunt as to what was re-
quired. On arriving alongside the wharf, Lieut.
Rose said he would neither proceed to the " Maison"
nor to the frigate, or anywhere else at the bidding of
French authority. He was then ordered to get out
of his boat into the barge, which he did, at the same
moment he directed the British man-of-war ensign
and pendant to be hauled down, and unbuckling his
sword delivered it to the officer; the barge then pro-
ceeded towards the French frigate La Charte, towing
the gig of the Hazard. On getting alongside, Lieut.
Rose was directed to go on board ; his crew remain-
ing in their boat. A long consultation ensued, and
after being on board the frigate two hours and a half,
the sword was delivered up to Lieutenant Rose,
and he was told that he might go on board his own
vessel. He demanded an explanation and an apology,
but was replied to that there was " no apology."
"No communication was allowed with the shore."
And the second officer of the frigate said that he
had been treated in a similar manner by the British
some years ago when on the Gibraltar station.
Lieutenant Rose was politely dealt with on board
La Charte.

On arriving on board the Hazard, Lieutenant Rose
reported to Commander Bell the conduct of the
French towards him, when it was deemed most ad-
visable to pursue their voyage for Sydney, on which
station the Hazard was destined, rather than to make
for Valparaiso to fall in with the British Admiral.
The French ship-of. war Uranie, 60 g-uns ;La Charte,
frigate ; another frigate ; and the Phaeton steamer
were there; and another French frigate remaining at
the peninsula, where the first battle was fought with
the Otaheitians. The Queen and her husband were on
board the Basilisk. About 100 Europeans had en-
listed under the Otaheitian banner, among whom are
some runaway gunners' mates.
The Hazard, on her voyage towards Sydney,
touched at Navigator's Island, for wood and water,
and whilst she remained there an assemblage of the
chiefs, thirty in number, was held at Tootooilah, over
which the King presided. The result of the busi-
ness of the day was the adoption of a petition to her
Britannic Majesty, to afford them and their people
protection ; and to give them in proof of her Royal
favour, a flag emblematic of annexation to England.
The petition is said to be extremely well and appro-
priately got up. The natives were sadly afraid of
a visit from the French ; but they had resolved to die
rather than to allow them to occupy their native soil.
The Hazard arrived at Sydney on May 23d.
The vessel having on board the French Roman
Catholic Bishop, with several nuns and others, which
sailed from Brest some months ago, bound to the
Sandwich Islands, had not arrived. It was currently
reported in the South Seas that she had foundered off
Cape Horn.
The brig Arachne, Captain Pearse, which furnished
the above information, sailed from Sydney on June 8,
and landed her mails and dispatches at Falmouth
also Lieutenant Rose, R.N., who is sent to England
by his commander to report on the above transaction.
The Arachne also furnished a mail from Adelaide,
taken up to Sydney by the Hawke ; and another from
Wellington, New Zealand, conveyed to Sydney by
the Calypso.
A mail has also been landed, ex the brig Vernon,
Webster, from Madeira, which vessel reported that
her Majesty's packet Swift had arrived at Madeira,
on her outward voyage from Bence towards Brazil.
The West India steam-ship, homeward-bound,
passed by here to-day, at ten A.M.