Character of the inhabitants. School at Papieti. 

 Complaints of the American consul. 



TAHITI. 



Council of the chiefs. Paofai, the chief judge, ,-j. 

 Influence of the missionaries. 7> 



chiefs tied around their necks. Nothing call ap- 

 pear more outre than they do in these habiliments, 

 and I was at a loss to conceive how they could, in 

 particular, have heeu induced to adopt a covering 

 for the head, which affords no protection from the 

 sun, and is in consequence so ill-adapted to the 

 climate. 



A Tahitian changes his residence without diffi- 

 culty or inconvenience; food is every where to he 

 had in abundance, and lodgings never enter into 

 his calculation. While the squadron was at Ma- 

 tavai Bay, the number of those who appeared to 

 inhabit its shores would have given a very erro- 

 neous estimate of the usual population. They were 

 assembled from every part of the island, and the 

 right of occupying each spare nook in the houses 

 of the permanent settlers seems to be universally 

 admitted. When this resource fails, they are to 

 be seen beneath trees, or upon the beach, within a 

 few feet of the water's edge, sleeping as soundly, 

 although without any covering, as if they were be- 

 neath their own roofs. 



In our whole intercourse with the inhabitants of 

 Tahiti, we did not hear of a single act of theft, al- 

 though there were innumerable opportunities for 

 its commission, without the possibility of immediate 

 detection. They seemed always in a good humour, 

 gay, happy, and cheerful ; nor did I witness a 

 single quarrel among all the crowds that were as- 

 sembled at Point Venus, during our stay. They 

 are, however, inveterate beggars. 



At the invitation of Mr. Pritchard, I visited the 

 school under his direction at Papieti. This gentle- 

 man was, a few years since, a missionary, but now 

 holds the station of Her Britannic Majesty's consul. 

 He has not, however, abandoned all his mission- 

 ary duties. 



The school is held in the church, a large frame 

 building, much like a New England meeting-house. 

 It has numerous windows, a large gallery, and pews 

 capable of containing a great number of people. 

 All who were present were well dressed, and the 

 assemblage, except from the colour of their skins, 

 could have been, with difficulty, distinguished from 

 a Sunday school in the United States. 



The exhibition of the schools did not surprise me 

 so much as the fact that few natives are to be met 

 with who cannot both read and write. This was 

 not confined to the younger part of the population, 

 but was true even of those advanced in years. 

 I also learned that they had schools among them- 

 selves, and that parents were well aware of the 

 advantages attendant on sending their children to 

 them. In these schools great pains are taken to 

 inculcate cleanly and industrious habits, with sound 

 moral and religious principles. 



The hours of attendance are confined to the fore- 

 noon, and during these the schools are crowded. 

 The parents are unwilling that their children 

 should be confined for a longer time. 



Our consul, Mr. Blackler, had made complaints 

 to me, as soon as I arrived, of the conduct of the 

 queen and government, and asked my inter- 

 ference. The charges consisted in the following 

 items : 



1. The seizure of an American whale-boat and 

 ill-treatment of the crew. 



2. That fines had been unjustly imposed on Ame- 

 rican seamen. 



3. The refusal to appi-ehend deserters from 



American ships, or to provide a place for their 

 safe keeping. 



4. The evasion of a promise to provide a 

 place for the transaction of the consular busi- 

 ness. 



In consequence of these complaints, I had imme- 

 diately requested that a council of the chiefs might 

 be held, and the 17th September was appointed for 

 the purpose. On this day I ordered all the officers 

 that could be spared from the vessels to attend. 

 Captain Hudson and myself set out at an early 

 hour, accompanied by several boats. We passed 

 down through the reefs, and reached Papieti at ten 

 o'clock, where we were joined by our consul, and 

 in his company proceeded to the building which 

 has been mentioned as the scene of the exhibition 

 of the schools. Here we were received by Mr. 

 Pritchard, who politely showed us to the seats we 

 were to occupy. He then called the names of 

 the chiefs, and each answering in his turn, took 

 his seat on the side of the building opposite to 

 us. 



The meeting being ready for business, I read 

 from a paper a list of the grievances complained 

 of. This was translated sentence by sentence by 

 a Mr. Darling. When I had finished, Paofai a 

 chief, who holds the office of chief judge, appeared 

 to make a reply. He began by apologizing for the 

 absence of the queen, caused by her approaching 

 confinement, and then requested a copy of the 

 paper which had been read, in order that it might 

 be considered and answered. He stated that it in- 

 cluded too many points to be decided upon and 

 answered at once, but promised that the matter 

 should be examined, and the business concluded as 

 speedily as possible. 



This request was so reasonable that I at once 

 assented to it. I thought the proposed mode far 

 better, and it was more agreeable to me than a 

 public discussion would have been, in which confu- 

 sion could hardly be avoided. I therefore broke up 

 the meeting, after stating that I should look for a 

 satisfactory reply on my coming in the Vincennes 

 to Papieti. 



Many of the chiefs seemed disposed to act cor- 

 rectly and do justice, at least they repeatedly ex- 

 pressed their good intentions. It was also evident 

 to me, that their minds were greatly relieved by 

 the moderation of the demands, for they had feared 

 that these were to be of some extraordinary kind, 

 and might perhaps include a claim for heavy 

 damages. Indeed, since the large contribution 

 levied on this island by the French, the government 

 has entertained apprehensions, and dreads the 

 arrival of men-of-war. These fears are taken ad- 

 vantage of by many ill-disposed residents, who omit 

 no opportunity to practise upon their alarms, and 

 to threaten them with foreign interference. 



Much complaiut has been made of the influence 

 which the missionaries, and Mr. Pritchard in par- 

 ticular, exercise over the government of Tahiti. 

 They have, unquestionably, great influence; but I 

 am satisfied that they are justly entitled to it 

 Indeed I cannot but consider it as part of their 

 duty, nay, the great object of their mission, to ac- 

 quire and exercise a salutary control over their 

 converts, both of high and low degree. My own 

 observations satisfied me that this control is exerted 

 solely for the purpose of fulfilling the laudable ob- 

 ject for which they were sent. It is possible that 



