NEW CALEDONIA. 335 



to the Christians ah'eady under their charge, and no longer 

 attempt to govern the island, but submit to his authority. 

 He told them that thei'e was a French ordinance or law 

 forbidding the further extension of the Protestant religion 

 in the country, because, as it was French, the Catholic faith 

 its religion, and French its adopted language, they would 

 have to undo wliat he might do, and to teach French in the 

 schools, and propagate the Catholic religion in the place of 

 Protestantism. He said Mr. MacFarlane was compelled to 

 give in, and, though he felt sore, he saw he was wrong ; 

 that they met afterwards, and parted amicably. This was 

 altogether a very long story ; and certainly seemed not to 

 be in accordance with the decision of the Emperor, to wliom 

 the matter was referred ; and who ordered tlie Grovernor, I 

 was told, to come to an amicable arrangement with the 

 missionaries, and to abstain from any further interference 

 with them. M. Guillain spoke in strong terms against the 

 French missionaries here, saying they had hitherto governed 

 the natives, and were attempting still to do so, but that he 

 could not and would not permit it ; he instanced a 

 missionary living towards the north that actually allowed 

 the natives to call him ' Governor,' which, as the natives 

 had never seen M. Guillain, and knew no better, it was easy 

 enough to do. 



The town of Port-de-France is a very small straggling 

 place ; its streets are unpaved, the houses not continuous. 

 Most of them very small, nearly all Ijiiilt of wood, having 

 generally a httle verandah in front ; they a)'e, with one or 



