TAHITI AND EI MEO. 51 



New South Wales. The latter bring cotton fabrics, which they 

 exchange for sugar, molasses, arrow-root, and cocoa-nut oil. The 

 value of the exports in this direction is supposed to be about $35,000. 



The amount of American manufactured goods imported into the 

 island is estimated at an equal sum ; they find their way here in 

 transient ships from the coast of Sotith America, and the supplies 

 furnished our whale-ships are generally paid for in American goods. 



It is almost impossible, in the absence of all statistics, to arrive at 

 any correct statement of the amount of foreign manufactures annu- 

 ally consumed here ; but the quantity is evidently on the increase. 



By a regulation of the colonial government of New South Wales, 

 Tahitian vessels are allowed to enter their ports on the same footing 

 with the English. There are several vessels engaged in the trade, 

 and others building. 



The position of this island, in the vicinity of the cruising-ground 

 of our whale-ships, and the resources it possesses for supplying ship- 

 ping, make it a desirable point of rendezvous. 



The following statement will show the number and' value of Ame- 

 rican vessels visiting this island in the years 1836, '37, and '38. 





WHALE-SHIPS. 





TONS. 



VALUE OF CARGO 



1836 , 



. 52 . 



. 



18,090 



$1,307,500 



1837 



. 57 . 





20,500 



1,817,000 



1838 



. 42 





15,000 



1,268,000 





9 merchant- 



ships, 



1,700 



75,000 





55,290 



$4,467,500 



A census recently taken, gives for the population of Tahiti nine 

 thousand, and for that of Eimeo one thousand. When this is compared 

 with the estimates of the navigators who first visited these islands, an 

 enormous decrease would appear to have taken place. The first esti- 

 mates were, however, based on erroneous data, and were unquestion- 

 ably far too high ; yet there is no doubt that the population has fallen 

 off considerably in the interval. The decrease may be ascribed in 

 part to the remains of the old custom of infanticide, in part to new dis- 

 eases introduced from abroad, and the evils entailed upon them by 

 foreigners, and in part to the transition now going on from a savage 

 to a civilized life. 



Whatever may have been the case, during the first years after it 

 was visited by Europeans, the population for the last thirty years has 

 been nearly stationary ; the births and deaths are now almost exactly 



