, 1880-10-30

ducks, pigeons, poultry, and dogs, 9little
inferior to an English lamb. Their only
labour was to launch their canoes on their
coral lagoons, and drag to land a multitude
OF delicate fish. In form and feature the
natives of these delightful isles were fitted
to their abodes. Their complexion was a
clear brunette, their skin most smooth and
soft. their teeth perfectly even and white,
Their eyes full of expression, sometimes
'~sparkling with fire and sometimes melt
Sing with softness." They were tall and
erect in stature, with q gait displaying at
once vigOur and ease. In most Of their
less material characteristics they were
scarcely inferior to their country and their
physical attributes. Their personal clean
illness put to shame the habits of civilized
humanity, which had not yet learnt the
virtues of cold water. Captain Cook found
moreover, their department. liberal, and
their behaviour to strangers and to each
other a1fable and courteous. In disposition
they showed themselves brave, open, and
candid, without either suspicion or trea-
cherry, cruelty or revenge. Two moral
Obliquities alone were discernable in them.
The point Of honor among their was
not what is among Europeans, and sthGy
were all thieves. When that is "allowed,
"they need not much fear a competition
with the people Of any other nation upon
i" earth."
Cook was not the original discoyerer Of
TINS lovely group, Tahiti, or Otaheite, its
principal island, had been visited SO early
as 1906 10y Spanish mariners, and more re.
Gently III 176G by Captain Wallis of His
Majesty's ship Dolphin. Wallis named it
King George the Thirds Island. But nei.
fIlnp Mt that ,1npiO1 NOV, Jo4ou. Ala Guoo+ IDy;
tain Affect to exercise rights of sovereignty
over It's shores. British ships made it
their station. 1t was discomfort at the
hardshlps Of the ocean after tasting the
pleasures Of this enchanted homo Of many
Arnldas which provoked the Mutiny of
the bounty. The ships, however, Of other
natlonalItles were equally free touso it's har.
bOurS and French Catholic as well as Eng
llSh Protestant missionaries e~ndeavoured
with equal success, or absence oft, to infuso
o serious element into the facile tempera-
ment OF tho population. Religious rival
RES combined with the rise of a colOnizing
ambition i'll O%rloaniSt France to bring the
archipelago once more within the range Of
European interest. French politicians,
cmulous of British commercial prosperity,
aScrlbed it to English vigilance in search
ing out and preOccupying the waste places
OF the world. They looked to Polynesia to
redress tho balance. An experiment was
first tried on tho southern of the New Yea
land islands. Captain Langlois, of ILavro,
III 1888 had obtained from the Maori chiefs
Il cossion of territory TO tho French Mon
archy. England had i~nterposed SO peremp-
t0rlly as to cause the abandonment Of the
enterprise and French susccptibi!ities con
soled themselves by anneXati0ns in another
quarter. The MarqueSas, q frequent resort
OF French WhalerS, were occupied, and a
beginning was mado towards extending
French supremacy to the Society Islands.
The islands had adopted prior to this date
q semblance of European administration,
and q Queen, POmare, reigned i'll 1912 over
the whole. She had succeeded in 1927 at
tho mature age, for Tahiti, of fourteen, and
had i'll 1912 long possessed both a palace
and a King C0nsort. In that year, as we
have said, the French commander on the
Pacific station, Admiral Dupotit Thouars,
induced her Tahitian Majesty to place her
dom mons under French protection. The
protectorate was Sylnbolized by d flag
uniting the main characteristics Of the old
flag OF Otaheite and the t~ricolor. For her
personal use the Queen enjoyed, in add
ton, a standard embroidered with a wreath
OF cocoa-nut leaves. Things having been
put thus comfortably into train, the Admi-
raj, to whose organizing skill the result
was chiefly due, departed on a years cruise
to the western coast of America. While
he was absent doubts arose in Tahitian
bosoms of the benefits to be derived from
French ascendancy. In France it was bel
lleved that the English Protestant mission