48 TAHITI AND EIMEO. 



residence, and the house of Mr. Pritchard, are the only ones which 

 possess the luxury of glazed windows. The houses of the foreigners 

 are scattered along the beach, or built immediately behind it. 



The bay of Papieti is the safest, and its port affords the greatest 

 facilities for the repair and supply of vessels, of any belonging to the 

 island. For the first purpose a wharf and warehouse have been con- 

 structed, which are let to those who wish to use them. We occupied 

 them for ten days, for which we paid thirty dollars. The tender was 

 hove out at the wharf, and her equipment secured in the warehouse. 

 A limited supply of ships' stores and chandlery is kept for sale, and 

 may also be purchased from the vessels which frequent the port. 



The greater part of the commercial business of Tahiti is transacted 

 here, whither the articles for export from other parts of the island are 

 brought to be re-shipped. The number of vessels which visit this port 

 annually, is about sixty, of which the largest portion are whalers ; the 

 remainder are transient merchantmen, or regular traders from 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 South America, and the supplies 

 furnished our whale-ships are generally paid 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 annually 

 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 shipping, 

 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. 



. 52 . 



, 18,090 . 



$1,307,500 



. 57 . 



, 20,500 . 



1,817,000 



. 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 



