The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-02-27
FROM OUR SAMOAN CORRESPONDENT.
Papiete -. Population --- Business -.
BuiIdings...ShelIS- -. Coral -. King
MOwrea and Her Majesty-..Death
in the Royal Family...StevensOn.
MissiOnaries--ReyOl Custom.

MISSfOnarfeS.-ReEOI custom.
NoRD DEUTscHER LLOYD S. S. "LU-
BECK" EN-RoUTE FROM APIA,
SAMOA, TO SYDNEY, N. S. w.,
AUSTRALIA, Dec. 1s, 1888.
Dear Neigh6or:
Having reached a considerable
length in that part of my letter relat-
ing to the Msrquesas Islands, and
knowing your aversion to long ar
ticles, I have thought it better to make
another one of what I have to say
about Tahiti, where the Nipsic arrived
on the 18th of last October.
Papiete (Pap-y-a-ty-soft ys) is the
principal seaport of Tahiti, and is the
capital of the Society Islands. The
population numbers about 5000 inhab-
itants, divided as follows: natives, 80
per cent. French, per cent; Ameri-
cans, 8 per cent. English, 2 per cent. /;
and Chinese, per cent.
The town, like nearly all seaports,
was originally built along the water
front, which in Papiete isa half moon
bay. The growth of the settlement
necessitated the extension inland, and
now the town is one of the prettiest ]
have seen anywhere. Many hand
some houses, wide, level streets we'll
shaded, numerous large and beautiful
gardens, and several splendid drives
indeed, the roads, which equal the best
drives I have seen in America, are
widely known for their excellence,
which was attained under the reign of
a native queen great many years
ago.
France has large government store
houses here for her troops and ships in
the Pacific; and the Tahitian government
buildings are also in the town, situa-
ted in pleasant public gardens.
Business of considerable volume is
carried on, fruit being the principal ex-
port, and dry-goods, agricultural i'm
plements, liquors, ETC., the chief i'm
ports, most of which come from San
Francisco. Nine-tenths Of the food
consumed by both natives and foreign
ers are produced OH the Islands.
Large shipments of pearl-oyster
shells are made from Tahiti to France
where they are utilized for manufac-
turing pearl buttons.
White coral is very plentiful and
cheap, but if one wishes to get his own
specimens he has but to take boat
and paddle among the reefs and collect
whatever pleases his fancy.
The large number of foreign resi-
dents have imbued the natives with
some ideas of modesty-externally,
at least. Whilst they practice tattooing
considerably, all of them in the town
make some pretense of dressing.
They are about the same color as the
Marquesans, and, like them, too, they
are magnificent physical specimens of
the human race.
T must relate little incident of my
ssociation with royalty in this part Of
the world. One Saturday afternoon a
party of us were driving in the coun-
try near Papiete, and some one pro-
posed that we visit the late King of the
Society Islands. (When France ac-
uuired control of the Islands she
bought off the rulers, to whom she still
pays liberal annuities.) We drove to
the country residence of His Majesty,
King Mowrea ILL.,, and were promptly
ushered into his royal presence. He is
man of about fifty, of good physique,
but rather broken by dissipation, Our
reception was most al,-indeed,
the King seemed greatly pleased by
our visit, and thanked us profusely
"for hunting him up" One of our
number, "a little the worse for the
Kings spiritual hospitality, I regret
to say with more curiosity than cour-
tesy, requested His Majesty to exhibit
the royal family, which, as we all
knew, consisted Of twelve wives.
Without betraying the least annoy
ance the King politely invited us into
the private apartments of the house
hold, where we were each formally
presented to Her Majesty-a round
dcscn ofher. Just think Of it. Twelve
Queens in one country and i'll one
house. Prepostcrous; hear you en-
claim. Well, rather,-inasmuch as
the only real Queen, the only legal
wife His Majesty has ever had, was
compelled by his cruelty to leave him
when he sold his Kingdom to France.
Mowrea is enabled and encouraged to
lead this profigate life by the French
government, in the hope that his gross
dissipation will shorten his days, and
when he dies France will be relieved
from paying his annuity which
amounts to $4,000 francs ($9, ,GOO.OW pc;
annum.
In return for his kindness we invited
tho King to breakfast OH the Npsic
the following Monday, which invita-
ton he readily accepted, and we left
him in rare good humor among Her
Majesty.
On the morning he was to visit us,
q ,,ot,, 90 no OF Lraorrnttinn TINT the