The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-11-11
aliitf.

In 1843, French force landed at Tahiti
and took possession Of the island in the
name of Louis Philippe, the citizen king.
The natives were not subdued without q
truggle. The Franco -Tahitian war lasted
our years, and the last native stronghold
yielded thro ugh the act Of native traitor,
whoguided the French through forest trail
where they got IN the rear of the native
warriors. The natives in their stronghold,
finding that their enemies were In front
and rear Of them, were compelled to sur
| render after long, heroic struggle to pre-
serve the independence of the island. Queen
Pomaro escaped to the four kingdoms, or
Lower Society islands, and insisted that
she would not return to Tahiti unit il the
French abandoned it. The Vahine Aru,
prominent chiefess, finally induced Po-
mare to change her mind. She was restor-
ed to her throne, under French protccto-
rate, and, with brief intcrmission, during
which her son Tomatoa was king, contin-
| ued to reign, venerable specimen of the
royal barbarian. Pomare died on the 17th
OF Septem er, 1877. She had reigned since
1922, u period of tifty-five years. She was
succeeded by Prince Arnane, her eldest son,
| who was married in 1874 to the Princess
Marau. This marriage was the result of
| French intrigue, and under his sway the
island has been practically dependency
of France, like the adjacent island of Mo-
rca. The French, after conquering Tahiti,
had made an attempt to reduce the four
Kingdoms to submission. Under the lead
guled the French into ambush, and made
fearful havoc in their ranks. Then an
American adventurer named Jordan, sort
! nf Of n
scheme to annex the group to the United
States lie began by marrying a native
woman Of rank, ended by SUSTAINING a
crushing defeat, and barely escaping with
his life. His wife swan out to seq in tho
darkness of night. with the heroic fllibustcr
on her back, and then they took canoe
and made their way to a ncighboring is-
land. Five years ago Mr. Atwater, the
American consu the four Kingdoms,
married the Prince siMoetla, sister to the
Princess Marau. These complications arc
now straightened out by the new French
treaty, which, it is supposed, embraces moi
only Tahiti, but the entire group Of Is.
lauds.
The Society islands, as the group Is
named, lie about 18 degrees south of the
equator, and have altogether an area oi
886 square miles, and population of abou
20, 900, all but 2, 900 of whom are natives
Two.thirds Of the entire population are
residents of Tahiti. Seen from vesse
approaching the harbor of Papcite, Tahiti
seems vision of that beauty which stirret
tho hearts Of the old aavigators, and made
even the steady. going pen of Captain Cool
poetical. The cocoanut trees rise agains
the sky, and orange groves are seen, though
the orange is not here an Indigenous plant
Everything looks quiet, cool and pleasant
as If hcre at last were tho possibility of
Utopia where one might live at ease ia
from the maddcning crowd, and carinI
nothing for tho outside world. Papeite
, the capital of tho .protectorato, is situate,
, In tho north western part Of Tahiti, an
has a large and secure harbor, accessibl
to ships of every size. 1t has streets nam
3 ed after those Of Paris, It's little chops, an
, Its small trade with the nelghboring islsndf
but Its native inhabitants, though ever
lyeag shows that they arc fslling away atte