516 
COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 
induce the natives to engage in agriculture, but in vain. 
Imported labour has not hitherto succeeded, owing to the 
regulations not giving the planter sufficient hold over his 
men, and on the whole the agricultural outlook is not 
promising. The immigration of coolies from Tonquin is 
contemplated. The French have apparently done all in 
their power to remedy the state of affairs. The Govern¬ 
ment even receives the produce of the small cultivators 
and exports it for them, so as to do away with the profits 
of the middlemen. 
The chief export is pearl-shell, the value of which in 
1890 was nearly £60,000. That of copra is not much 
less. Cotton (£10,000), vanilla (£3000), and oranges 
(£2000) are the only other noticeable products. 
Papeete, capital of Tahiti, is a little city of the most 
violent contrasts. All the races here settled are repre¬ 
sented by a total population of about 5000, of whom 
about 1000 are Europeans. The “ Eue de Rivoli,” with 
its “ Palais de Justice,” “Tresor Colonial,” etc., leads by 
Government House and the Royal Palace to the “ Place 
de la Cathedrale.” The “ Rue de la Pologne ” shows the 
bright and dark sides of this little Paris of the antipodes, 
while a row of Chinese “ stores ” and “ tea-shops ” recalls 
the Chinese quarter in San Francisco. Papeete is the 
emporium of trade for the products of the South Sea 
Islands east of 160° E. longitude. Small schooners of 
from 20 to 50 tons burden bring the produce of the 
various groups to Tahiti, whence they are shipped direct 
for Europe either by Cape Horn or the Cape of Good 
Hope, according to the season of the year. These 
schooners, of which about twenty fly the Tahitian flag, 
take back portions of the cargoes of vessels arriving from 
Europe for sale or barter amongst the islands. The 
harbour is good, and a despatch boat and four small 
