New Britain herald., 1925-10-16
TA|.O.HAI REALLY
WONDERFUL PLACE
Is Referred to as a Bhghted
Paradise

Washington. D. c., Oct. le-Tai-
o-Hai, island port of cali Of the
homeward bound United States
fleet which has been visiting In the
Pacific, is described as a port of
tragedy" in bulletin from the
Washington. D. c., headquarters OF
the National Geographic society.
Situated at the innermost point
of horseshoe bay which furnishes
a reasonably well protected har-
bor," says the bulletin. Tai O. Hal.
once gave promise OF being a Pa
cihc metropolis, a rival, perhaps,
to Papeete, Tahiti, 750 miles to the
southwest. The town, on Nukahiva,
largest Of the Marquesas islands, is
listed as the administrative seat of
the French government of the
Marquesas; but the honor Is hol-
low one, for the Marquesans are
rapidly dying off. The hundred
thousand or more who peopled the
eleven islands century ago have
dwindled to 5000 or 1000.
Rosy Future Seemed Assured
When France took the islands
over in 1912 the future seemed
rosy to the white settlers who went
there. The islands teemed with su-
perlatively healthy, brawny natives.
The rainfall was abundant and
vegetation grew ranky. Dreams of
exceedingly productive coconut,
cotton and vanilla plantations filled
the heads Of French adventures.
Tai-O-Hai was built with these
dreams in mind, and stores, inns,
churches, schools and another ac-
compartment of civilization O.
jail - sprang up.
But things did not work out as
had been expected. The Marquesans
did not care to become plantation
laborers. They had led lives of
ease. spending their time in idle
ness. In gathering natures fruits,
and In war among themselves.
Some inscriptions planters tried
labor. They brought a certain tenn
porary success, but they helped to
bring a speedy end to all hope for
the survival of the Marquesan peo-
pie. TO drunkenness and sodden-
ness were soon added the white
mans diseases diseases which
meant little to the civilizations OF
America and Europe that had be-
come largely immune to them, but
which carried off the islanders like
flies.
Once Tecming Valleys Deserted
"Tai-O-Hai, which had waxed,
as quickly waned. Today less than
150 people live In the village and
there Is only q handful of whites
Abandoned buildings are on every
hand; traders shops, dwellings, an
inn, a leper house. The once popu-
lous valleys back in Nukahiva have
been abandoned to the rank
growth; only the half smothered
platforms on which dwellings
stood tell of their past use by man.
In the valleys not wholly aban-
doned. the few survivors have
moved near the sea for neighborli-
ness.
THE Marquesas are In two
groups. Nukahiva lies in the
northern group. Seventy miles of
ocean separates 1t from the group
TO the south. 1t was the southern
group. discovered In 1896 by Men
dana that was named Marquesas.
This group was thought to consti-
tute the entire archipelago.
Northern Isles Claimed for America
THE northern islands remained
unknown to the outside world for
200 years and were then discover
ed by an American Captain Ingra-
ham, n skipper from Boston. He
named them the Washington Isl
ands,' and they almost became
Amer lean possessions Captain
David Porter of the United States
navy took possession of Tai-O-Hai
bay in 1918 while marrying British
ships in the Pacific; subdued the
Nukahivian natives; and proclaim
cd the Washington islands terri
tory of the United States. But
mutiny of the ships he left in the
harbor put an end to his plan, and
the United States never reasserted
Its claim.
THE Marquesas are Of volcanic
origin. They are extremely rugged,
and. except the valley floors, there
is no level land in them. To the
observer from ship board who sails
among them their sharp peaks,
line behind line, cut the sky like
the bizarre mountains Of stage
scenery.
"A number OF the smaller islands
are now entirely uninhabited. In
less some hardy race be brought TO
them. it will not be long before the
Marquesas, will be left virtually as
they were mllenniums ago. before
the vikings Of the Pacific, in their
huge canoes, came to claim them