240 . Voyage of the Novara. 



cretly to the words of the people"*), unless he has a thorough 

 acquaintance with French. 



On the whole, the Government of the Second of December 

 appears to regard Tahiti simply as a military outpost and 

 naval station, and to attach little value to the evident future 

 commercial importance of the island. If, however, there are 

 behind this ostensible indifference no secret views, or political 

 arriere-pensees involved, it must undoubtedly be pronounced 

 most unjust and unwise. True, Tahiti possesses but a small 

 projDortion of surface suitable for cultivation ; true, with the 

 exception of oranges,! there is hardly any natural product 

 exported, | the produce of the island barely sufficing to sup- 

 port its own population ; but, apart from its extremely 

 favourable geographical position, and the vegetable profusion 

 of this and the adjoining islands, Tahiti might, under able 

 administration, be made a sort of general emporium for the 



* Obviously a corruption of the French " mouton," the popular name for a spy. 



t Of this expensive fi-uit, which grows in large quantities on the island, and only 

 needs to be gathered, there are exported annually some five or six ship loads, worth 

 about fr. 200,000 (£8000), all which find their way to California, where 1000 oranges 

 are worth from 840 to 860 (£8 8s. to £12 12s.), whereas, a similar quantity is worth 

 in Tahiti at the outside £1 to £1 4s. 



X Besides the cocoa-nut oil and arrow-root, which are at present exported from 

 Tahiti and constitute its chief trade, the produce of the neighbouring islands 

 might be conveniently passed through Tahiti. The pearl oysters {Meleagrina Mar- 

 garetifera), which are usually dredged for in the months of January, February, March, 

 and April, come chiefly from the Paomotu and Gambler groups. The latter-named 

 group, however, only sends about 500 tons of these annually, worth about fr. 500 to 

 fr. 600 (£20 to £24) per ton. In the year 1859, the entire importation of these was 

 contracted for by a merchant of Papeete at 8140 (£29 10^.) per ton. The natives of 

 Gambier, accustomed to dive, use to bring up the pearl oysters from a depth of from 

 1^0 to 180 feet. 



