6 TAHITI. 



thousand five hundred feet above the level of the sea. From these two 

 peaks, ridges diverge to all parts of the coast, throwing off spurs as 

 they descend. These ridges are precipitous, and for the most part 

 narrow. In many instances their summit is a mere edge, making 

 walking upon them not only dangerous, but often impossible. 



Soon after my arrival, I was visited by S. R. Bladder, Esq., our 

 consul, who resides at Papieti, distant eight miles from Matavai. The 

 resident missionaries, with Mr. Pritchard, Her Britannic Majesty's 

 acting consul, and Mr. Morenhout, the French consul, also favoured 

 me with a visit, as did several other persons, who all expressed their 

 desire of being serviceable to us. 



The governor of the district of Matavai, Taua, was the first ac- 

 quaintance of any distinction that we made. He had already visited 

 the Vincennes on her anchoring. He is a fine-looking man, of huge 

 proportions, and has a large establishment near Point Venus, where he 

 monopolized nearly all the washing, which was performed by his 

 numerous dependants. By this business he derives some remuneration 

 for the cost of feeding and clothing them, putting the gains of their 

 labour into his own pocket. Such, at least, is his own account of the 

 transaction. 



Taua's usual dress was a striped cotton shirt, nankeen pantaloons 

 that had once been yellow, and a round jacket of blue cloth. Both 

 shirt and pantaloons were too tight, and he had neither suspenders 

 nor stockings, although he wore shoes. In this guise he had an 

 awkward look, which he probably would not have exhibited in a 

 native costume. 



He w T as profuse in offers of hospitality at his own house, and many 

 of the officers were induced to accept his invitations. His entertain- 

 ments appear to have been of the same general character with that to 

 which I was treated, and which will, therefore, serve as a specimen of 

 the mode in which such things are done by the " good society" of 

 Tahiti. 



We reached his dwelling in time to see the preparations for the 

 feast. These were entrusted to his man of all work, Stephen, or as he 

 called him, " Stiffin." This useful personage exhibited his dexterity, 

 not only in cooking, but in killing the poultry. The bird selected was 

 a cock, for the Tahitians well understand the difference in value 

 between it and the hens ; and Stephen exhibited much adroitness in 

 the slaying, plucking, and dressing. While this was going on, the 

 stones for the Tahitian oven, so often described by voyagers, were 

 heating, and when they had acquired the proper temperature, the ashes 

 were carefully swept off, — bread-fruit, taro, and plantains, wrapped in 



