The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-02-22

Taking Up Arms, the Natives Retire to
the Mountain Fastnesses and
Prepare to Battle to
the Death.

, in Papeete," said one of the officers of the
Gailee yesterday. LAS soon as it was
known that there was trouble in Raiatea
sixty young men from Tahiti, all native
born, but of French extraction, volun-
/ teered and equipped themselves for the
campaign. They were reviewed before
the chief of division and then the Gov
ernor presented them with a flag which
the ladies of Papeete had made Tor them.
"Somes sof them may never see home
again. The natives are skilled in bush
warfare, and while the warships may de-
sirov their villages and ruin their crops
they will simply take another location
and erect new barricades.
ION one of the islands they hoisted the
British flag, but the marines stormed the
fort and tore it down. There is no signi~
hcance in the matter as the re bells ran the
| flag up in order to keep the soldiers from
J attacking them. They were mistaken,
however, as the sequence shows. One OF
the warships had just returned to Papeete
when We were eady 10 sail, and while the
situation was not considered serious the
Government thought enough of it to issue
a call for extra aid"
The papers from Papeete contain very
full reports of the campaign so far. They
| begin with the first muster jujt after
Christmas.
"On Decem Der % the troops were re-
viewed by Commandant Bayle under the
eyes OF the refugees from Uturea. Seven
hundred armed men filed past and his
produced a most salutary effect upon the
natives, for they had not believed that
such large force could be mustered.
But the same the rebels. who knew of
the demonstration, persisted in maintain
ing that it had been held only TO frighten
them, and thatzsthe troops would not
march-the English would necessarily in
terpose, etc.
In spite of these absurd opinions, how
ever, desertions from the rebel ranks be-
came numerous. The deserters came over
to the French in groups of q dozen or
more at time, carrying their guns, all of
one old-fashioned make, and their am.
munilion.
Already 500 or 600 of these deserting
rebels had gone to Utoroa, but only %
had come from Tevaitoa to give up their
arms.
On December 81 the grand chief, Iri-
pau from Tahaa, one of the three Cover
nors of the island, arrived at Tevai:oa,
accompanied by his secretary and ten
other rebels. They had to escape at night
for fear of being shot by their former COM
rades-at least that is what they said
for desertion had been made a capital
offense.
On January 1, the amnesty fixed hy the
Governors ultimatum having expired, the
troops were divided into two columns.
One column was under orders to march
east and the other west. 1t was necessary
TO occupy the valleys around Uturoa and
to dislodge the rebels who were there and
who intended, according to certain infor-
nation received, to attack the town that
day.
At the same time the Aube and the
DuguayTrouin went to Tahaa and bonn
barded the village. 1t was destroyed.
Some troops were then landed, among
them being company of Tahltians. and
in the scrimma which followed Sail
maker Goupil OF Bayle's command cap
tured British flag which had been con-
| spicuously displayed.
| The rebels having fed the troops re-
EN- mbarked and the two warships proceeded
to Tevaitoa and TO Apoa and destroyed
both those towns.
"Tevaitoa was bombarded on January 8,
and after the bonn bardment a column
under Commander Chocheprat was landed
to complete the work commenced by the
guns of the ship. The place of landing
was some distance away, and while
advancing on the village the column
come suddenly upon eighty rebels, who
| had intrenched hemselves behind a bit
! of rising ground. The sailors and marines
prepared to ire, but, being so close upon
the rebels, the order to fix bayonets was
given instead, and the bugle sounded the
charge. The rush of the French troops
was irresistible. Tne natives defending
J the ditch were armed with guns and har