Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-04-19
The Islands Of Tahiti.

Who has not read and reread the his
tory of this group, from the year of our
Lord 1867 when Wallis anchored in the
harbor of Matavai, to the assumption of
the protectorate by NJ. Guizot? For
here came Captain James Cook to OBJ
serve the transit of Venus, and hence
he sailed northward and eastward to dis
cover and revisit other islands and shores
that will bear his fame to all pOstcrity
as the Columbus of this wonderful
ocean. Here rested from their oars the
mutineers of the Bounty and here they
ltook. them unto themselves, lika. yerF
I tarry ahivery rough eighteenth-centu-
ry lotuseaters, the delights and pleasures
of the island ending with sudden dis
enchantment at the prospest of cap
ture, and an equally sudden disappear
ance with their wives to distant and
less charming if securer shores. Here
came Bougainville, La Perouse, krusen-
stern, and later Wilkes; and here came
shall we say unfortunately ?-the mis-
sionaries. For divided is the Polynes-
ian and the travelled world upon the
merits ofthese gentleman, and confirm
ing to prejudiced minds are the tales of
emphatic though we fear not strictly ac-
curate traders of vituperative and god
less beach combers. Here came the
Jesuit fathers; and then the wondering
heathens hearkened to the polemical
white men renewing the world-tired
battles of more civilized lands, heard a
different and only God preached in Or
thodox fashion, listened confusedly TO
sinuous windings and twistings among
the subleties of dogmas, and finally
fioundered i'm the Sea of sectarianism.
They gave their allegiance, not from
motives of conscience, but from world
ly admiration of the physically greater
man, or of him whose store of carnal
goods promised the better reward.
Then followed the old war of races
Frenchmen against Briton; fiery re-
ligious Crapaud against an obstinately
religious JOnbool, intensified by differ
ence of creeds and of culture. by diverg-
ing interests but comingling fanatieisms.
Finally from these and polemics they
came to force and threats of force, not
any easier to bear because they were
partly clothed with sanctimonious words
and invocations. The priests were ejec-
ted and other Sights followed-slights
more real than fancied. Then came in
juries more severe than Exeter Hall
and British Foreign Office would have
us believe, until the Frenchman re-
turned with his fleet and threatened
with one broadside, after the most ap-
proved French manner-the grand
manner they call ito blot out miss on
aries, heathens, town, and churches,
and thus settle the affair, and for ever.
Then succeeded pretexts, promises, inti-
midation. "seizure of the royal person."
bombardments and logic of events the
last scene of all. With blare of trumpet,
and laundering of guns, and rires, till
the welkins rung, his Catholic Majesty,
who scarcely knew that such an oasis
bloomed in the watery desert, seized
upon the island under the specious plea
of protection; and to this day, through
good fortune and ill, and all the vicissi-
tudes of the home government, it is
still part of colonial France.-Gdldry
MonfhlU,