American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-01-08
Significance Of the Marriage OF United
States Consul Atwater.

THE marriage of the United States Con.
sui at Tahiti to native Princess has a
significance we'll worthy of investigating.
That it will result, among other things, in
thoroughly Americanizing the group OF
islands known as the -Four Kingdoms OF
Lower Society Islands, there can scarcely
be a doubt. The fact that Consul Atwater
has made three trips to the group during
the past summer means something, and
the further fact that his-wife, the charm
ing and accomplished Princess Moctia,
has leased Scilly Island, a dependency OF
Borabora, the latter one of the Four King
doms, confirms the belief that move has
been made to bring the island under
American influence. Mr.. Atwatef is a
very energetic and intelligent young man,
exceedingly popular with the natives, and
now that he is united in marriage with
the daughter of a chiefess with royal
blood in her veins his power will be still
greater with the Inhabitants. The chiefs
on the island of Borabora are related to
Mrs. Atwater on her mothers side, and,
indeed, the chiefs on all the islands of the
group consider that they hold an
allegiance to Mrs. Atwater's mother.
This prominent chiefess was the mediator
between Queen Pomare and the French
when the latter conquered the island of
Tahiti. Queen Pomare had taken refuge
turn to Tahiti, as she claimed, until the
French vacated the island. But the
French intending to do no such thing con-
structed forts at Papeete> and other points,
and have held possession of the island
ever since, as they have Of the adjacent
island of Morea. The Vahine Aru
(Moetia's mother), seeing the condition of
things, acted as mediator in reconciling
the conquerors and conquered, so
Pomare returned to Tahiti, where she
still lived at latest accounts, venerable
specimen of the royal barbarian.
The four principal islands known as
the -Four Kingdoms are Huehine, Riea-
tea, Tahaa and Borabora, the latter hav-
ing as a dependency Scilly Island, valua-
BILE for its pearl fisheries, and now the
property of Mrs. Atwater. There are a
few smaller islands also. The group is
about 100 miles south of Tahiti, and
about 10 dogs. south of the equator.
Huehine is governed by Queen who has
American blood in her veins. Rieatea is
governed by King, and Tahaa by n
Prime Minister, of royal claret, who nom
inally holds allegiance to the King of
Rieatea. Borabora is now under re-
gency. The Queen having died last year,
left as heir to the throne little daughter
only three years of age. The Salic law,
known to SO many civilized Governments,
has no force or effect in the Kingdoms of
the South Seas, where women play SO con-
spicuOus part as rulers. With regard to
the various Governments of the Four
Kingdoms, they have long desired to
unite in one strong government, but with
each island free to enact local laws 10 suit
itself. The principle in the civilized man
which seeks for strength and unity is as
strong in the barbarian. Those Society
Islanders are simply DESTROYS of federal
compact, the members of which could have
rights reserved to the States Gslands)
composing it. If they were united, these
islands would form a very valuable little
Kingdom. They are the finest cocoanut-
bearing islands in the South Pacific, and
produce splendid cotton, which grows
wild. Coffee and all tropical products
grow splendidly there. The precious
woods are abundant, and, of course, val.
liable. The islands are most beautiful,
being green all the year round They are
surrounded by coral reefs of marvellous
picturesquencss, and these form, in many
places, cosy harbors, which give shelter
and security to vessels at all seasons.
The Society group is not within the cleo
trical current which produces snch disas-
tiers on the Fiji Islands. The climate is
healthy, the sea winds always acting
like fan, Indeed, the only drawback