The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1900-12-27
BACK FROM
SOUTH SEAS
Globe TrOtters Relate
Their Experiences.
QUEEN Who Ate HUSBAND
Lord Albert Osblrne and Douglass
Hall Were HIRE a Month
Ago.


ing of the sights they saw in the South
Seas. The following is dispatch con-
cerning them from Victoria:
VICTORIA, b. c., Dec. Among
the passengers who arrived here on
the r. NJ. s. warrimoo this week we're
Lord Robert Osborne and Mr.. Douglas
Hall. two Britishers who are returning
to London from an extended tour
through the Polynesian group. They
are spending a few days in Vancouver
shooting and will then start home by
way of New York. They came out to
San Francisco ten months ago and
sailed thence for the southern Pacific
in the barkentine Tropic Bird. which
took thirty days on the voyage to the
paradise of the Pacific.
Lord Albert Osborne and Mr.. Hall
bring back tale of a war scare from
Tahiti. 1t dates back to the Fashoda
episode and the consequent murmur
ings of war between France and Brit
ain. Great preparations were made by
the British at Esquimalt about that
time. The warships were hurriedly put
in shape, provisioned and equipped for
n cruise somewhere. and Frenchmen
Immediately suggested that ii was to
Tahiti that the Pheasant. Leander and
Phaeton and perhaps the flagship War
spite were to go. The news was tele-
graphed TO the San Francisco papers
and to Sydney in Australia. and sail
ing vessels in due course carried the
dread news of prospective invasion to
Tahiti.
There was CONSERVATION on the is
land. but the "honneur de la belle
France" was not to be allowed to SUI
fer. The Frenchmen there were but
two companies and the gendarmes who
police the islands of the group sharp
ened their swords and made ready for
defense "as long as life should last"
they declared. They marched about
the streets crying "Vive Marchand!"
and "a bas PAnglais" The tri-color
was flung to the breeze and the band
was prepared to be martyred for
France in their defense of the South
ern Isle. A fort was built in the high
est attitudes of the mountains in the
center of the island. which rises 1000
feet above the level of the sea. 1t was
natural fort, with picturesquely
medieval appearance. with draw
bridge. etc. To this all the guns that
could be obtained We're carried and
mounted. Buggies and traps carried
ammunition and preparations were
made to fight to the finish when the
warships came from Esquimalt or Sgd
ney. The French transport Aube, which
was lying in the harbor. was brought
In to the wharf and the guns were TAX
en- out of her and carried to the fort
OF the Forlorn Hope. Then prepara-
tions were made TO sink the Aube and
the soldiery gathered in the fort.
WI the first day or two of the ter
ror PASSED business began to be re-
sumed and the drawbridge was left
down. ready for the sons of France tC
make their retreat when the warship:
came. II was not until the day follow.
ing the departure of the Australian
mail steamer which brought the new.
of prospective fighting that the prepa
rations were begun. in order that M
word should be carried away by tn,
steamer of the plans Of defense. Blu
day after day passed and the warship
did not come. The tri-color was still
waving and things were normal. TheI
came the day of the big scare. Out II
the dimness of the night the sentrie
espied the coming of the warships
The enemy had come at last 1t wa
war.
Out on the horizon the excited grou1
which surrounded the sentry saw fou
twinkling lights. BY the logic born o
expectation these became warships I
the feverish minds of the French an
there was sauve qu peut for the for
IL was a curious picture as describe
by those who saw ii. Frenchmen rush
ed pellmell to the mountain fort wit
bundles Of their belongings. Carriage
and carts carried the household good
out Of the reach of perfdious Albio,
and when at last the drawbridge wa
crossed and breath regained they erie
"Vive la France" and took their post
The night dragged on and the light
, came no nearer. But surely the enc
my was awaiting daylight for the lant
Ing OF troops to invade Frances Pc
cifc island. The sentries peered n,
into the night and scarcely soul slep
At last morning came and with IL n
supposed warships. They were four n,
tive boats, each holding a native fshe
man who had been fishing by the lig,
ol torch-the first scare was over
mere was. however, a second scar
The Australian mail steamer was Ia,
several days passed beyond her usu
date and still there was no sign Ne,
er before had she been late Su-a
this means that at last there was wa
Again French Tahiti migrated with
wife and belongings to the fort. b
hardly had they taken the coverin
from their guns and posted the r,tiv
when in came the steamer and the a
al scare was over. The martial sons
France received advices of the bac
down OF their country and the DAYS
terror were over in Tahiti The fol
however. still remains, and is an o
1ect OF interest to travellers who Wis
the southern islands 1t il called r
shoda Fort, and the name brings ba,
memories to all Tahiti.
Lord Albert Osborne and Mr.. Hs
spent two months at Tahiti and tn,
say the encroachment of Chinese the
struck them forcibly There is no e
clusion law In Tahiti and the Chine
are fast monopolizing the small trad
All the small traders are Chinese. al
they are driving out the Tahitian sms
traders Tho "a fo 10 n