CESSION OF MATAVAI. 
7 
When the Missionaries from England, who 
had now arrived, landed from the Duff, the 
chiefs and people were not satisfied with giving 
them the large and commodious Fare Beritani 
(British House,) as they called the one they 
had built for Bligh, but readily and cheerfully 
ceded to Captain Wilson and the Missionaries, in 
an official and formal manner, the whole district 
of Matavai, in which their habitation was situated. 
The late Pomare and his queen, with Otoo his 
father, and Idia his mother, and his most influen¬ 
tial persons in the nation, were present, and Haa- 
manemane, an aged chief of Raiatea, and high 
priest of Tahiti, was the principal agent for the 
natives on the occasion. The frontispiece, repre¬ 
senting this singular transaction, is taken from 
an original painting in the possession of Mrs. 
Wilson, relict of the late Captain Wilson. It ex¬ 
hibits, not only the rich luxuriance of the scenery, 
but the complexion, expression, dress, and tautau- 
ing of the natives, with remarkable fidelity and 
spirit. The two figures on men’s shoulders are 
the late king and queen. Near the queen, on the 
right, stands Peter the Swede, their interpreter, 
and behind him stands Idia, the mother of the 
king. The person seated on the right hand is 
Paitia, the chief of the district; behind him stand 
Mr. and Mrs. Henry, Mr. Jefferson, and others. 
The principal person on this side is Capt. Wilson; 
between him and his nephew, Mr. W. Wilson, 
stands a child of Mr. Hassel; Mrs. Hassel with an 
infant is before them. On the left, next to the 
king, stands his father Pomare, the upper part of 
his body uncovered in homage to his son, and be¬ 
hind him is Hapai, the king’s grandfather. Haa- 
manemane, the high-priest, appears in a crouching 
