CajcortheC&ilujile 

 {iricit*. 



TAHITI. 



c«bo of the OfctrtBa 



priesta. 



chiefs. The leader* of the tatter are Paofai, Hitoti, 

 ami Tana, who are descended from the ancient kings 

 dethroned by Pomare I. These chiefs have large 

 domains, and many of the? raaliras (landholders) 

 take part with ihcm. They are, besides, distin- 

 guished by qualities which give them consideration 

 among tlie islanders, Fnufni, who has more than 

 once been spoken of, hohhi the office of chief judge, 

 and is considered as the best statesman on the 

 island. Hitoti is distinguished for a dignity, up- 

 rightness, and good sense, which command universal 

 respect. Tuna jw e o e ofl a high reputation as a 

 brave and skilful warrior. 



Of these three loaders, Hitoti alone is wholly 

 free from reproach. Paofai \* accused of eovetous- 

 tiess, and a propensity to intrigue ; and Tana, of a 

 fondness for intoxicating drinks. 



The queen, however, contrives to ride in all mat- 

 ter* thru rightfully belong to her ; and, by the aid 

 of the missionaries, maintains her ground against 

 this strong opposition, although its leaders have 

 generally the jvower to determine the course of 

 policy to be pursued, and entire authority over the 

 execution of the laws. They are much opposed to 

 foreigners, and have made several attempt* to have 

 them banished from the island. They are supposed 

 to entertain the design of setting aside the queen, 

 on account of her irregular behaviour and vices; 

 but this plan is not likely to succeed, because of 

 the personal popularity she enjoys, and the num- 

 ber r,f adherents she (■••■ • ••-> s among tho people. 

 In eonfnmiity with such a design, these chiefs are 

 said to be continually watching l»r opportunities to 

 increase their own power and diminish the royal 

 authority. Among the occasions of which HO 

 endeavoured to avail themselves, was the celebrated 

 affair of the Roman Catholic priests, the circum- 

 stances of which, as nearly as i could learn from 

 the statements of both parties, are as follows : — 



Two priests of this denomination, who had been 

 stationed at the Manga Reva, or f Saiubier Group, 

 landed on the southern side of the island, and tra- 

 velled towards Papieti, preaehing the doctrines of 

 their church. They, however, found none willing 

 to listen, and it Ib said, that M native would receive, 

 them into his house. On their arrival at I'apirti, 

 however, Paofai, Jlitori, and w nno other chiefs, 

 gave them countenance, and they weir hospitably 

 received by Mr, Morcnhout, the aetiug American 

 consul, who, however, did not lodge them under his 

 own roof, but in an adjacent building. The people, 

 however, excited by the preaehing of the English 

 missionaries, broke into the building, and compelled 

 the priests to embark on board a small vessel, 

 which carried them to I'ea, or Wallis Island, about 

 two thousand miles to the west of Tahiti. 



In considering this question calmly, and strip- 

 ping it of the exaggerations with which both par- 

 ties have loaded it, it is diffieiilt to say which wan 

 must in the wrong. The Protestant religion was 

 established by law upon the island, to the exclusion 

 of all others, and this the priests well knew; nor 

 can any but zealots, who think that those whom 

 tlu-y style heretics are worse than infidels, excuse 

 their tntruaiou upon missionary ground already 

 fully and successfully occupied. On the other 

 hand, their precipitate expulsion, under circum- 

 stances of great hardship, exhibited an unchristian 

 spirit, for which the resident missionaries may 

 justly be held responsible, aa they unquestionably 



I had it in their [tower to prevent any positive HI 

 treatment on the part of the natives. 



The consequences of this expulsion of the priest* 

 remain to be related. In due course nf time the 

 Pre rich frigate Venus, commanded by M. On Petit 

 Thenars, arrived at the island, and anchored in the 

 harbour of Papieti. The commander immediately 

 demanded satisfaction for the outrage committed 

 on his countrymen the priest-, anil threatened tbnt 

 unless two thousand dollars were paid him within 

 twenty-four hours, he would fire upon and burn 

 the town of Papiett. The queen had no money, 

 and was inclined, as 1 was told, to let the French 

 do tle ir worst ; but as in this ease the loss would 

 have fallen wholly on the foreign residents, the 

 required sum was collected from them by Mr. 

 Pritchard, and paid to ML Da Petit Thenars, A 

 treaty was also forced upon tin* government, allow- 

 ing all Frenchmen to visit the island freely, to 

 erect churches, and to practise their religion. 

 Thus the local laws were abrogated under the 

 threats of an irresistible force, and the national 

 independence virtually surrendered. 



This was a high handed measure nn the part of 

 the French commander, and one that hardly admits 

 of justification, particularly the demand for money; 

 for he had himself been received with great hospi- 

 tality , and not long before another of his sovereign's 

 frigates, the Artemise (1 think), had been saved 

 from wreck by the unrecompcuscd exertions of tin' 

 Tahitians. The amount demanded also was at 

 lea*t four times as great as the pecuniary damage 

 incurred by the priests would be reasonably valued 

 at. The French commander, therefore, appears, 

 in thus bullying a defenceless people into the pay- 

 ment of an exorbitant indemnity, and into a 

 relinquishment of the right of admitting or ex- 

 cluding foreigners and strange religions creeds, 

 by municipal regulation, in a light far irom advan- 

 tageous. 



We have wen that Paofai and his party at first 

 countenanced the French priests. This they no 

 doubt did in the hope of introducing an Influence 

 which might he opposed to that of the Fngli-ti mis- 

 sionaries. Subsequently to these transactions, and 

 after an attempt by two foreigners to murder Mrs, 

 Morenlnmf, they have eudeavoured to obtain the 

 passage of a law for the expulsion of all foreigners 

 whatsoever. 



The aversion to the permanent residence of 

 foreigners is general, and although there is no law 

 forbidding the sale of land to them, yet no offers 

 have hitherto been found sufficient to induce the 

 chiefs to dispose of any portion of their soil. They 

 find in its possession an acknowledged right to rank 

 and respectability, ami it spontaneously yields tin m 

 and their followers the means of subsistence. So 

 powerful is this repugnance to the admission of 

 foreigners to any of the privileges arising from a 

 possession of land, that those who are attempting 

 to cultivate sugar, &c, hold their leases by so 

 uncertain a tenure as to prevent their making any 

 permanent improvement. 



The fertile portion of the island of Tahiti lies in 

 the valleys, which are of small extent, and in the 

 plain which extends from the sen-shore to the 

 spurs of the mountains. These produce tropical 

 I plants in great abundance and luxuriance, and are 

 I probably not exceeded in fertility hy any portion of 

 the earth's surface. The climate of this region is 



