236 Voyage of the Novara. 



and vivacity ; the heir to the throne seemed feeble, sickly, 

 and too soon matured. 



This happened to be the first presentation of the members 

 of the Expedition to the Queen — the first opportunity they had 

 had of conversing with her. Hitherto there had been ap- 

 parent on the part of the French authorities a reluctance to 

 bring about a meeting, which the Queen might possibly regard 

 as a triumph. In fact, Queen Pomare was not at liberty to 

 receive any one in her house, except members of her family, 

 without first obtaining the permission of the French authori- 

 ties. Two incidents, which had occurred to arouse the 

 French authorities shortly before our arrival, had still further 

 contributed to sharpen the Queen's watchfulness, and to limit 

 her receptions to her own nearest relatives. The poor woman 

 had, after much pressure, and without communicating with 

 M. Saisset, signed in his absence a document which fairly ran 

 counter to a previous ordinance on the same subject. A ter- 

 ritorial squabble, which had long before been decided by law, 

 had, through the exertions of one of the parties interested, 

 been once more brought up for trial, before the native 

 bench, as it was thought that the result of the opinion of 

 several judges might be productive of some more favour- 

 able result. The Governor refused his assent to this proceed- 

 ing. The Queen, notwithstanding, under bad advice, issued 

 a written mandate to the native Court to try the case over 

 again. As the Court was being assembled, however, it was 

 dismissed by the Governor, the chief judge banished to an 



