, 1889-06-13


i4th OF Julyi the government Offering az
much as 500 70 1000 francs, (2Oc) for cot.
ton products, 800 francs for the province
that sIngs best. and so on. The natives
are employed as regular policeman with
a French commisary air command. They
are very clever at music, also, catching
an air wonderfully quick, they can do
wat we can't, in this way; take a dozen
or more whites, give them an sIr they
all know and they will discord enough to
last you your life time; OF course am
not speaking of professionals. Take an
equal number OF natives, give them also
an air that they know, and you will
hardly detect false note. Their voices
blend beautifully together; they gener-
ally start piano with slow movement
gradually quickening to forte then sub
siding TO PIP. finishing abruptly and
| with sort of moan. Native music il
weird but very beautiful; the govern
ment band is wholly composed OF Tahi-
tians, bandmaster included. I went to
hear them expecting to hear Sally, Sally
Waters, or some other antiqusted melo-
dy but found 1 was q bit of Mikado
Waltz, American Exhibition Polka, Scot
ish Lassie Jean and Boulanger March
were q few OF the ans heard them
play. Twice week they play in ro-
tund before the government house. There
are about ten members in the band. One
peculiarly noticeable is, that lamps burn
in the open cir there being no wind at
all. It is strange sight to stand and
watch in the centre Of the band. rould
which mes, women, and children are
dancing with delight. OutsIde OF them
are rows of natives exposing their
wares for sale. perhaps three hundred
seated on the grass and every one has
his own lamp. Then come the specta-
tors, some seated on the grass, some ia
bug2ies, the whole forming q most
weird scene. At 10 o'clock homeward
ho, the band plays to the market house
and dismiases after which silence reigns
supreme.
At a. NJ the hustle begins, market
time. I had wished several timss to see
the early business racket, but being q
: deciple Of ye god Morpheus, I had over
: slept, go 1 engaged a native to call me-
this particular morning. which he did.
Hastily dressing I hied mo hither to
, the market, it was as yet dark, but the
: market was lighted up all over, hun
dFeds Of people thronging in and out.
salesmen yelling out some in French,
: some in English, others in TRhitiau.
3 forming q very busy scene.
t Suddenly bell rang out q. m. then
1 the buying started. In an bou- al was
> finished, everything was clear, the
: market was washed. lesson to some oi
! our sanitary officials. Next day drove
: out to gentleman's plantation, beau.
tiful road 40 miles in length, perfsctly
level, made in the early days by The
prisoners. After three and half hours
I arrived st my destination where
( was going to stay for tie night. ]
f might mention right here that there are
a few mosquitoes in Tahiti; that night,
: alas I knew il. I had the usual
mosq alto net but it was OF no avail
> smoked, they seemed to like it, in fact
: thought it advisable to plant my pipe
They are small, but when Tahitian
' mosqu uito is on tho war path he will
= havo his fill. can now Fympathize
3 with Mark Twain, who when In Homo.
B Ialu, who whom In bed palied his net
. securely round him, found the mosquitoes
|, just as thick as ever, in desperation Mark
tore hole in the net till he thought all
the mosquitoes were in, then coolly
pinned the hole up, got out, left the mos
quitoss master of the situation, and slept
4 on the floor. looked like a small poxed
Chinamsn next day. I retreated back
to Paputs, where the mosquitoes are
more civilized.
have left the Tahitian damsels to the
. last, because I wished to be snre of what
: 1 WAS writing. Well, to begin, the Ia
hitian women are, without doubt, the
finest looking of any dark skinned people
I ever saw, and have seen few, well
built, tall, regular features, and, as q
rule, beautiful hair and teeth, In which
,, they take great pride; they are scrupu
lousiy clean in person and dress, and
walk very gracefully; thsir dress is Ia
mother hubbard, generally quiet colors,
hair plated neatly, surmounted by 8
straw hat. Jewelry is conspicuous by
! its absence; they use no offensive oils,
like the most South Sea Islanders, on
, their hair, generally the best French
pomade; they are very energetic, in the
, larger warehouses they are employed as
machinists, where they work ten hours
a day, hardly ever missing day.. and
are very clever with their needle. Ii
not employed in town they make hats at
home