Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-11-04
LIFE IN THE SOUTH SEA rs.
J1NDH
WOMEN CONTROLLING THE AvESuEs OF
rRADE---A LIFE OF EASE AND PLENTY.


A San Francisco firm--Turncr, Run
die X Co.--run the regular mail line to
Tahiti, Sandwich Islands, and the
American firm of Turner, Chapman 4
Co., is ono of the largest in papecte.
Besides this line, the firm Of A. Craw-
ford 4 Co., Of San Francisco, run line
of schooners, and In addition occasion
ally American vessels from the coast
arrive or depart, Twenty-Five Ameri-
can vessels flying the American flag
entered this port last year. There are
eight American business houses located
here, large and small, and there are
some two hundred Americans on the
Island.
1t may seem strange, but il is never
thcless n fact, that Hamburg is the
rival of San Francisco in the South
Seas. There are four large German
houses in Honolulu, and few small
retail establishments, which are sup
piled with nearly all the articles of
trade from Hamburg In Papeetc
there are two large German firms.
These likewise import from Hamburg,
and export cobra, cotton, valuable
wood, &c. German ships are run on
much more economical scales than
American vessels. There is but one
English firm, and, strange to say, al
though this island is under the protect
orota of Eranoa tt.ra 10 =, a .<,.oot cn,,,
mercial house here.
There are many so-called long headed
business men who think they have
nothing to do but come down to the
South Sea Islands with schooner and
pick up fortune in trading. Several
have tried this thing on, but they soon
wrecked themselves and their fortunes.
Trade and commerce in the islands OF
the Pacific are reduced to science
The competition for cobra, cocoanuts,
pearl, mother-ofpearl, vanilla beans,
precious wood, &c, is carried on with
the greatest vigor. A number OF large,
and wealthy houses, long established
In business, have schooncrs constantly
running to the Marquesas, the fomotus'
and all the other gronps OF isiahus'
iheir agents speak the various uiMects'
and some oil them are married 70 native
women OF nave native his'resses,
Ihese women nave great lnnuehce' ana
are aolc 10 cohtroi the avenues Oh tri'ue
IN great degree. ., !.
II white man Is urea OF clViiizatoh
ana wishes 10 lay on then ne can come
10 the South seas ana hhd some ro'
mantle niue nook where, under the
oreadiruit trees, anld cocoanut groves
ana banana forests, lie can loll 10 hearts
content But such man must have
lost ms grip, lost all hopes, ana come
TO me conclusion that no y weak
ana impccle creature unable 70 war
with the seethlng ca9ldron. called CIV
iilzatlon' ma such white men on
the ,slands OF these seas put wha'
wrecks tney are; utteriy lost they
lead an aimiess NE, ana vegetate rath-
er than hve, ihey are most miserable
specimens oi the great European races
wnich nave conquered ana civilized
tins earth AS compared with the ma
hves oi the oouth seas they are INFERIOR
mentally, morally, ana physicaliy'
hen wnite man goes 10 wreck mere
the wreck ls so complete 'nat ,here i
nothing lett oil ~ put mere shadow
Many are the desolate, broken hcnrts
0, tnis charac,er 70 DC iounu noa''ns
about these Islands. a picture com
pietely the reverse Is 10 DC seen IN oc
caslohai ca, yachts wn'chV VISIT 'hesewaters
Iheir OWNERS ana guests are noneyeo
men lhey see the pright siue OF me
they are iondied ana ieasted, pnt they
get ia'se IDEAS Oh ,hc ac'uai STATE o.
ahairs. AFTER enjoying themselves
iiVing hke princes ana making lo'e III
the Don Juan scnool un'ii they are sur
ieitcd win dehght tney then return
ana write impass,oned DOCKS about liie
IN the south sea Islands :,
ihe wh'ie man is nuge on Daiis'
" neither al tne Nortn roie, the south
role, or tne Equator, ne never iorgets
TO array himself IN hne hnen ana shove
the ight iantastic toe In these semi,
parbarons lands he has Drought that
peculiar art OF civilization to high
state OF perfection, and has educated
native beauties TO waltz and galop with
tho velocity OF well-trained Arabian
horses. The white woman OF the
tropics is never so happy as when in
a ballroom, with the thermemeter any
where close up to lO0 degrees above
the freezing point VI course, Papeete
must be in fashion, and as this is the
winter scason-tmnk oil having winter
in June, July and Aqgust-balls are
all the rage. Queen Pomare started
the solemnities, then came the French
Admirars ball, and aiterward grand
fandango by the merchants. Two
more balls are on the tapls, so that we
may expect to pcrspire freely. AT all
these grand and aristocratic assem-
blages gambling is carried on openly,
ladies as well as gentlemen freely IN
dulging in the sport for coin. Poker
is the favorite game, and poker tables
are as much necessity at Papcette
ball as boquets and fans. Hundreds
of dollars have been lost and won at
these festivities. When a lady does
not play, If she is married, 1t is cnstom-
ary for gallant TO escort her home at
from to 3 o'clock in the morning,
while her amiablc lord and master re-
mains at the tables improving the NOR
ais but running the finances Of the spir-
tied half castles. The half castes are
keen with cards and often come out
with plethoric purses. The reader
will naturally suppose that society must
be awfully demoralizcd where such
things could occur But this is a mis-
take. Society is free and easy here
The doctrine is | am not to watch over