Causes of want of industry. 

 Constitution of Tahiti. 



TAHITI. 



Queen Pomare and the royal 

 family. 



77 



to numbers of women ; and this change of dress, 

 intended as an advance in civilization, has had the 

 effect of superseding employments which formerly 

 engaged their attention, and occupied their time. 

 The idleness hence arising, and the artificial wants 

 thus created, have no little influence in perpetuating 

 licentiousness among the females, to whom foreign 

 finery is a great temptation. The European dress, 

 at least as worn by them, is neither as becoming, 

 nor as well adapted to the climate as that which it 

 has almost superseded. Many of the missionaries 

 now see these things in their true light, and in- 

 formed me that they were endeavouring to pursue a 

 more enlightened course. 



My experience warrants me in saying that the 

 natives of Tahiti are honest, well-behaved, and 

 obliging ; that no drunkenness or rioting is to be 

 seen, except when provoked by their white visitors 

 and inmates, and that they are obedient to the laws 

 and to their rulers. That they should be com- 

 paratively indolent is natural, in a climate where 

 the fruits of the earth almost spontaneously supply 

 the wants of nature, and where a mere animal ex- 

 istence may be maintained without labour. No 

 people is, in truth, so independent of the aid even 

 of their fellows as the Tahitians. A native may 

 in the morning be wholly destitute even of imple- 

 ments wherewith to work, and before nightfall he 

 may be found clothed, lodged, and have all the 

 necessaries of life around him in abundance. These 

 he derives from the cocoa-nut, the poorou (hibiscus 

 tiliaceus), banana, bread-fruit, and bamboo. That 

 he does not find it necessary to call upon others for 

 assistance, does not make him forget the duties of 

 hospitality, but it does produce a thoughtlessness 

 about his own wants, and takes away that incite- 

 ment to labour, which is so powerful an aid in the 

 promotion of civilization. Still, I am satisfied that 

 the Tahitians do not avoid labour, when they can 

 woi'k with profit to themselves. Those who were 

 employed on board the squadron, where their pay 

 was liberal and regular, performed their tasks 

 faithfully and well; and they bear the same cha- 

 racter for fidelity in the whale-ships, on board of 

 which they are much employed. Some of them 

 are now engaged in the culture of the sugar-cane ; 

 and a single native plantation was mentioned to 

 me, of which the preceding year's crop had amounted 

 to five tons. Coffee has also been planted, and suc- 

 ceeds remarkably well. Much more, too, would 

 have been done in these productions had their 

 industry been encouraged by the missionaries, as 

 a body; but, while some of them have done their 

 utmost to stimulate the natives to exertion, others 

 have altogether discountenanced any attempts to 

 introduce new articles of culture. 



One of the most important consequences of the 

 introduction of civilization has been the establish- 

 ment of a settled constitution. This was framed 

 by the missionaries in 1823, upon the model of that 

 of England, and was revised in 1826. The royal 

 authority includes the power of the veto, the nomi- 

 nation of the supreme judges, and of all officers 

 connected with the person of the sovereign. The 

 crown is hereditary, descending either to males or 

 females. The legislative power is lodged in an 

 assembly, composed of two members from each 

 district, chosen triennially by the people. This 

 assembly is convened annually for the purpose of 

 remodelling existing laws, or enacting new ones. 



It has also semi-annual meetings, and may be con- 

 vened more frequently, if necessary, for the dis- 

 cussion of questions of importance. All enact- 

 ments of the legislature, before they become laws, 

 are laid before the queen for her approbation and 

 signature. When this is affixed, they are carried 

 into effect by the judges and the officers of the 

 crown. Should she refuse her signature, they 

 are revised and remodified, or laid aside alto- 

 gether. 



The island is divided into seven districts, each of 

 which has an inferior court for the trial of ordinary 

 cases. This consists of two judges, who are not 

 unfrequently also members of the legislature. The 

 decision of these courts must be founded upon 

 evidence, and appeal lies to the supreme tribunal. 



This supreme court is composed of seven judges, 

 two of whom are residents of the island of Eimeo. 

 The judges are also executive officers, and nearly 

 all are chiefs. This double capacity gives them 

 great influence, and their power is sufficient to 

 supply, in part, the queen's want of energy, but at 

 the same time serves as a check against any 

 encroachment upon the prerogatives of the sove- 

 reign. 



The powers of this court even extend to an 

 impeachment of the royal ruler. 



The mode of trial, both of civil and criminal 

 cases, is by a jury, and free argument is allowed. 

 The testimony is not given upon oath, but the 

 penalty for giving false evidence is severe. The 

 jury is composed of six persons; and every one has 

 the right of being tried by his peers. 



The reigning queen is named Aimata, but is 

 more usually known as Pomare IV. She is the 

 sister of the late king, and grand-daughter to that 

 Pomare I. who acquired the sovereignty of Tahiti 

 soon after its discovery. She is now (1839) about 

 twenty-seven years of age, and has been twice 

 married : the first time to Pomare, a young chief of 

 Tahaa, from whom she was divorced ; the second, 

 to a young chief of the island of Huaheine, by 

 whom she has one son, the heir of the throne. The 

 general appellation he goes by is Pomare taue, 

 equivalent to king-consort. 



Next in rank to the queen is her aunt, Ariapaca, 

 the eldest sister of her mother, and at one time 

 queen-regent. She still possesses great influence. 



In case of failure of the queen's posterity, the 

 next heirs to the throne are the princesses Ninito 

 and Taii, who are the queen's cousins, and nieces 

 to Pomare II. 



Uata, the godfather of the queen, although not a 

 chief by birth, has from this connexion obtained 

 great influence in the queen's councils, and may be 

 termed prime minister. 



The seven judges of the supreme tribunal are 

 nominated by the queen, but the nomination must 

 be confirmed by the legislature. Those who at 

 present hold the office are all large landholders, 

 and men of the highest character and intelligence 

 to be found in the population. They are in fact 

 the rulers of the kingdom. Five of them, viz. 

 Paofai, Mare, Utami, Taati, and Tanoni, reside on 

 the island of Tahiti ; the other two, Ruetone and 

 Mahine, at Eimeo. 



In spite of the small extent of the kingdom, it is 

 not without subjects to distract its councils. There 

 are 'two distinct parties : the one led by the queen 

 and the missionaries ; the other, by some of the 



