The New York herald., 1869-11-22

THO SOuth sea Isi1nOs.
A correspondent Of the Alta california furnishes
the following description OF this interesting group Of
Islands,
This island lies In latitude 10 deg. 02 min. south
and longitude 16l deg. 10 MIN. west. Its height
varies nom to thirty feet above the. level OF fne
sea. IT'S a lagoon island, but there is no passage
into 1t except for two or three ton bat. There is
no pearl smell IN Its lagoon There IS but little soil
except sand and coral yet nearly the whole island
Is but dense forest OF cocoanut trees oil In fne
ticIs of aS Iood found found here here WHICH ca re re-.
semblss and grows like taro. IN watery
patches Of bottom Of soft sand and lime; Us root
common turnip. IL Is largely cultivated by the
natives and they consider it their staple article OF
1000. Il Is prepared by grating and mixing with
the juice squeezed out OF the c0coaut meat it Is then
baked and tastes like new corn broad. Fish are to
be had In abundance The pandanus tree grows
hero In its most nourlshing state, the leaves OF
which are all essential 10 the natives In matching
The people are flne, pure, hardy ana athletic
race. and more inclined to labor than most OF the
South Sea Islanders. There seems to bc no disease
very fond OF European clothing when they can get
IT. and wear 1t very launtily The young men and
much more ne and fair we think than "a the Tan,
tiaps. A few years ago the young girls were not
Eaowee to 60 out during the day Tor fear of brown
~ their soft dusky skins At night they wero free
t6roam at pleasure. They now do the cooking ana
outdoor WORK.
The houses here are far superior to the native
houses Of Tahiti they built OF coral rock, plas.
toyed outside and IN, whltewashed and thatched
with pandanus leaves. They have been taught this
mode OF building by ROrotOngan missionary, who
ess been living and teaching among them Tor some
nfteen years. All the young men and women read
ana Write in their native tongue, and understand
something OF the four rules OF aritnmetic A few
years ago this island numbered some 100 inhabI-
t,s tans It Is % now reduced 20 $50 men, women and
etl laboring at Tahiti, Sandwich Islands, Fannngs
Island, Caroline Island and other places. all under
the contract system.
MANEHIyI.
This island lies In latitude ten degrees thrtyeght
minutes south, longitude l6l degrees two minutes
west and pears south-southeast from Rierson's.
distant some twenty-five miles. It's extreme length
y about nine and half miles. Its breadth varies
from TWO To Six miles, There Is greater surplus
OF cocoanuts here than we ever saw at any other
island In some places the old cocoanuts are lying
upon the ground from one to two feet thick. Its
lagoon abounds In pearl shell and fish. There was
always communication between the natives OF these
two islands. They speak the same tongue and are
OF one race. There are two villages here, Taunu
and Tuco. each having its separate cher, who are
also the chief Of Ricrson's Island, where one OF them
resides alternately six months out OF the year.
Formerly there were some rs, 900 inhabitants at
TINS Island. IL now numbers about 300; they, like
mel eneir brothers OF Rerson, having been reduced to
thls number by the treachery OF Peru and Tahiti
many OF them are now laborlng at Maiden Island
Caroline Island, Fannng's Island and the Sandwich
cause they are confident that their people will be
restored to them after their term OF service shall
have expired. But they look for no such honorable
conduct from Tahiti nor Peru, whose object seems
to be only to hold till death all VINO unfortu
nate aB to DO kidnapped into their clutches. Yet
they will tell you that this Is not so They will tell
you In honiei accents, 'rhis Is impossibe; we are
Q moral, religious and intellectual nation; we
could not possibly sanction such inhuman conduct
In ourselves much less those foreigners who reside
and do business here, and who are, therefore, amen
able to our celebrated laws the excellent code Napo-
leon." they win toll you, with religious counte-
nance and holy smiles, that when the term OF SER
vice for which they engaged has EXPIRED they are
put board vessel TO be returned 10 their
tive land; II, by chance. the captain berays his
trust, lands them upon unlnhabited island, and
they are picked up or taken or by some strange
vessel and returned again to Tahiti, of
course We are not responsible for that but We must
receive and welcome them once more to our hospit-
able shoreu
we know that things like this have occurred in
lsnltl put with only one foreigner for whom these
Roor people labor-or rather, whose slaves they are
nave u upon good authority. besides knowing 1t
oseives, tiiat there Is only one oregnor upon the
, .sanu mno countenanoes the ulaltreatnent OF his
BUKABUKA
iuis 10 anolner lagoon Island, covered with cocoa
nut Trees ls inner lake IL rich In the finest yarie-
ties Oh pearl SHE'LL Taro grows well here Fisn are
Picntnu ais0. lis outer reef a covered with the
pest KINDS OK beche-le-mer Hogs and fowls were
introduced here by the London missionary shlp
eomc tWcnty years ago. They are now auite
numerous. the original number OF ts niabi.
tants have been reduced to the small apnro OF
aSo through the emigration policy OF Peru and