Chapter III: Part 3

When Opuhara fell, his men lost courage, retreated, and were not pursued. The death of Opuhara was deeply regretted by Tati, his near relative and successor in the government of the district. In the ranks of his followers it was firmly believed Opuhara, few as his forces were, would have vanquished the enemy, had not the native missionaries been taught to shoot as they were taught to pray, and been supplied with guns along with Bibles. With the death of Opuhara the last hope of the natives was dissipated and submission to Pomare's rule became a stern reality. Neither the missionaries nor the natives had any idea of allowing Pomare to recede into his old ways. They made him refrain from massacre or revenge after the battle of Fei-pi. Tati, the chief of Papara, maintained peace from that time by his wise rule in that part of the island. He began by the usual island custom of binding Pomare to him by the strongest possible ties. The rapid extinction of chiefly families in Tahiti had left the head chief of Moorea heir to most of the distinguished names and properties in both islands. Marama, the head chief of Moorea, had only one heir, a daughter, a relative of Pomare. This great heiress, almost the last remnant of the three or four sacred families of the two islands, was given by Pomare in marriage to Tati's son, immediately after Tati himself was restored to his rights as head chief of the Tevas. In doing so he claimed for his own the first child that Marama (the bride) should have and made at the same time a compact that the children from the marriage should marry into the Pomare family. These conditions were made to render himself more influential with the most refractory of the conquered tribes. Pomare II. died December 7, 1821, leaving a daughter, Aimata, and a son, Pomare III., a child in arms. Aimata was never regarded with favor by Pomare, her father, who was frank in saying that she was not his child; so the infant son was made heir to the throne. Moerenhout made the statement that Pomare, on his deathbed, expressed the wish that Tati should take the reins of the government in his hands, but that the missionaries and other chiefs were afraid to trust Tati, and preferred to take the charge of the infant king on themselves. The missionaries in due time went through the formal ceremony of crowning the infant, April 22, 1824, at Papara, and then took him to their school, the South Sea Academy, which was established in March, 1824, in the island of Moorea at Papetoai. There he was taught to read and write, and educated in English, which became his language, until he was seven years old, when he fell ill, and was taken over to his mother at Pare, where he died January 11, 1827. During the reign of the infant king, Mata, a friend of the family, managed the affairs of state and became the guardian of Aimata, as the Queen, Pomare IV., was always called by the natives. Aimata was married at the age of nine years. She led an unhappy life, domestic, political, private and public, until at last the missionaries, English and French, fought so violently for control of her and the island that she was actually driven away.

Among other laws which were supposed to have been passed through the influence of the English missionaries, to prevent strangers from obtaining influence in the island, was one dated March 1, 1833, forbidding strangers, under any pretext, from marrying in Tahiti or Moorea. Ariitaimai, of noble birth, the historian of Tahiti, was not inclined to marry a native chief, a decision which met the approval of Marama, her mother. She finally consented to become the wife of Mr. Salmon, an Englishman, who was held in high esteem and consideration in the island; and Aimata suspended the law in order to enable her friend to be married to the man of her choice. The missionaries virtually ruled the island for forty years.

WARS BETWEEN PROTESTANT AND CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES

In 1836 two French missionary priests landed at Tahiti to convert, not pagans, but Protestants to the Roman Catholic faith. The Protestant missionaries, who held the reins of the government, indignant at this interference, invoked the aid of the British consul, Pritchard, who caused the Queen to order their arrest and expulsion. The order was executed December 12, 1836. The two priests made a protest to their government, and King Louis Philippe sent a frigate to Papeete with the usual ultimatum, to which the Queen naturally acceded. Then began a struggle on the part of Consul Pritchard and the English missionaries to recover their ground, which led to a letter from Queen Pomare to Queen Victoria, suggesting a British protectorate, whereupon the French government sent another warship to Tahiti, in 1839, and made Aimata repeat her submission. As the British government at that time did not take much interest in missionaries, and Sir Robert Peel had a very precise knowledge of the value of unclaimed islands all over the world, Queen Victoria did not accept the proposition made by the Tahitian Queen, and the missionaries were again thrown on their own resources.

The chiefs ignored the missionaries, and in September, 1841, decided that, between such powers as England and France, they could not hope to maintain independence or even a good understanding, and since England refused the proffered protectorate, they would turn to France. So they drew up the necessary papers for the Queen to approve, but a British war vessel arrived in that critical moment, and this reenforcement of British interests induced the vacillating Queen to refuse to sign them. The next August another French naval force arrived, and the chiefs again met in council, with the admiral's aid and advice. The chiefs sent the following letter to the French admiral, Du Petit—Tuhouars:

Inasmuch as we can not continue to govern ourselves so as to live on
good terms with foreign governments, and we are in danger of losing
our island, our kingdom, and our liberty, we, the Queen and the high
chiefs of Tahiti, write to ask the King of the French to take us under
his protection.

In response to this formal request the French admiral, on September 30, 1842, hoisted the flag of the protectorate. This did not end the political and religious troubles of the little island. Consul Pritchard, who had been absent from his post for some time, returned from England February 23, 1843, and declared violent war against the French. As usual, Queen Pomare yielded to his wishes, and refused to obey those of the French admiral. The admiral lost his patience and temper, landed troops and took possession of the island, declared the Queen deposed, and, when disturbances arose, which he believed to be fomented and fostered by Pritchard, he arrested him and had him expelled from the island. This act excited much attention, both in the English and French press, which resulted in an order from the King of France to the admiral to restore the protectorate.

It will be seen that the last wars of Tahiti were caused by a religious intolerance on the part of the English missionaries, who objected to the presence of two Roman Catholic priests in the island. European governments were appealed to and had to interfere in establishing in the island free religious thought. It was a fight between two religious denominations which kept the natives in a state of warfare, a most serious reflection on Christian charity,

Alas for the rarity

Of Christian charity

Under the sun.

HOOD.

The constant unrest of the islanders caused by outside interference provoked frequent rebellions, for "general rebellions and revolts of an whole people never were encouraged, now or at any time; they are always provoked."

The two priests, bent upon a humane mission, who, by their presence in Tahiti, without any fault of their own, incurred the enmity of the Protestant missionaries, were the direct cause of French intervention which resulted in the protectorate and later annexation of the island. The priests remained, new ones came, and today nearly one-half of the population of the island are members of the Roman Catholic church.

The teachings and example of the English missionaries and their conduct toward the Catholic priests prove only too plainly:

Christian graces and virtues they can not be, unless fed, invigorated
and animated by universal charity.

ATTERBURY.

THE LAST WAR

Our country sinks beneath the yoke;

It weeps, it bleeds, and each new day a gash

Is added to her wounds.

SHAKESPEARE.

The disturbances which preceded and followed the establishment of the French protectorate induced the Queen to seek safety on a British ship, and the whole Pomare following took up arms and established themselves in the stronghold of native power and influence near Papeete. Another civil war broke out which waged between the natives and Europeans from 1844 to 1845. Tired of foreign dictation and oppression, the natives fought with desperation. Forts, which remain today in a good state of preservation, were erected by natives and the French. Most of the ruins of these forts are scattered along the ninety-mile drive between Papeete and Papara. From time to time, determined attacks were made with varying fortunes of war. The natives were superior in number but could not stand up against the well-directed firearms of the professional soldiers. A last and crushing attack was ordered by the French admiral, which meant certain defeat for the natives.

It was at this critical time that a woman came to the rescue of her people and prevented a wholesale slaughter of the heroic defenders of the island. This woman was Ariitaimai, the authoress of the book we have been following so closely in sketching the history of the island. She was the daughter of the famous Marama, of Moorea, the wife of Mr. Salmon, and the mother of Tati Salmon, the present chief of Papara. She recognized the hopelessness of the cause of her people and determined to prevent further useless bloodshed and establish peace. It required good judgment and a great deal of courage to undertake the task which she finally accomplished with such a brilliant success. She was one of those who believed that

Almost all difficulties may be got the better of by prudent thought,
revolving and pondering much in the mind.

MARCELLINUS.

She was intensely patriotic and had no fear of the results of her daring mission. She was very popular with the natives and well known to the French authorities, which aided her very much in formulating and carrying out her plans. She had no time to lose, as the decisive attack on her countrymen had been ordered and was to take place the next day. She called on Bruaat, the governor of the island, with the determined intention to end the war. He granted her twenty-four hours to accomplish her task. She then called a meeting of the head chiefs and urged them to surrender on the conditions stipulated by the French, in view of the hopelessness of the island's cause. At that time this woman was the most conspicuous figure in the politics of the island, loved and respected by the chiefs and the people throughout Tahiti and Moorea. The head chiefs received her proposition with favor. Notable speeches complimentary to her were made on this occasion. One chief said:

Ariitaimai, you have flown amongst us, as it were, like the two birds,
Ruataa and Toena. Your object was to join together Urarii and Mauu,
and you have brought them into this valley. You have brought the
cooling medicines of _vainu_ and _mahainuieumu_ into the hearts of the
chiefs that are collected here. Our hearts yearn for you, and we can
not in words thank you; but the land, one and all, will prove to you
in the future that your visit will always remain in their memory. You
have come personally. I have heard you speak the words out of your own
mouth. You have brought us the best of all goods, which is peace. You
have done this when you thought we were in great trouble, and ran the
risk of losing our lives and property; you have come forward as a
peacemaker for us all.

What beautiful thoughts in simple, homely language! What a splendid specimen of natural oratory!

In oratory, affectation must be avoided; it being better for a man by
a native and clear eloquence to express himself than by those words
which may smell either of the lamp or ink-horn.

LORD HERBERT OF CHERBURY.

The chiefs unanimously accepted the terms of peace, and after the adjournment of the council, Ariitaimai hastened to Papeete with the message of the chiefs, which was accepted, and once more the protectorate flag was raised and was recognized and respected by the chiefs and the people. During all these great final trials of the island, the Queen remained in the island of Moorea and even after peace was restored and she was formally requested to return, she refused to do so. The French authorities offered the crown repeatedly to Ariitaimai, but as often, she refused the great honor. The exiled Queen was her intimate and dear friend and

Ennuis has well remarked that "a real friend is known in adversity."

CICERO.

She was content with having accomplished a patriotic deed and with the respect, love and gratitude of her people.

So true it is, that honor, prudently declined, often comes back with
increased lustre.

LIVIUS.

She could say:

Give me a staff of honour for mine age;

But not a sceptre to control the world.

SHAKESPEARE.

and

Tis less to conquer than to make wars cease,

And, without fighting, awe the world to peace.

HALIFAX.

Ariitaimai made several visits to the unhappy Queen, urging her to return and resume her reign of the island, and had the satisfaction, finally, to bring her back from Raiatea on her third visit.

True friends visit us in prosperity only when invited, but in
adversity they come without invitation.

THEOPHRASTUS.

The Queen, on her return, was received with regal honors by the French authorities and by the people.

Pomare V. was the last of the kings of Tahiti. He was the oldest son of Queen Pomare IV. and known as Ariiane Pomare. He was married to Marau Taawa Salmon, Tati Salmon's sister, and had two daughters: Teriimii-o-Tahiti, and Arii mainhinihi. Under European influences and customs he became a degenerate Tahitian, profligate and dissipated, and it is said that he was largely responsible for the annexation of the island to France as a colony in 1880, as he received a substantial remuneration for his influence in that direction and a pension of sixty thousand francs a year. He died in 1891. Since Tahiti has become a French possession the island has enjoyed uninterrupted peace. The French government has been exceedingly liberal with the natives, having interfered as little as possible with their habits and customs.

That is the best government which desires to make the people happy,
and knows how to make them happy.

MACAULEY.

The island is governed under the French laws, but local laws and tribal rule remain and administer the local affairs. In completing the eventful history of this little island it becomes apparent:

What is public history but a register of the successes and
disappointments, the vices, the follies and quarrels of those engaged
in the contention for power.

PALEY.

The government has established and enforced religious liberty, observing the precept: "The protection of religion is indispensable to all government" (Bishop Warburton). Taxation is limited to road tax only. The annexation was looked upon with great disfavor by the natives, but was finally accepted with good grace, and peace and happiness have reigned since.

THE NATIVES

The Polynesians inhabiting the islands of the great Pacific Ocean constitute a distinct race of people, supposed at one time by certain writers to be of American origin, now almost universally admitted to have a close affinity with the Malays of the peninsula and Indian Archipelago, and hence classified by Dr. Latham under his subdivision _Oceanica Mongolidæ_. In physical structure and appearance the Polynesians in general more nearly resemble the Malays than they do any other race, although differing from them in some respects, as, indeed, the natives of several of the groups also do from each other. Centuries and environment have left their impress on the inhabitants of the different islands, as

Everything that is created is changed by the laws of man; the earth
does not know itself in the revolution of years; even the races of man
assume various forms in the course of years.

MANILIUS.

In stature the Tahitian compares well with any other race. The face is expressive of more than ordinary intelligence. The color of the skin varies from almost black to a light yellow. The aquiline nose is commonly seen among them, and there are many varieties of hair and complexion. In complexion they resemble more nearly the Japanese than the Chinese. The beard is thin, the prevailing hair jet black, straight, wavy or curly, profuse and long; eyes large and black; no drooping or obliquity of eyelids. The face is generally roundish; lower jaw well developed; no unusual malar prominences; forehead slightly receding; mouth large, lips thick and as a rule slightly everted; wide nostrils; ears large; chin prominent. The general resemblance of stature and physiognomy, however, is more with the Malays than any other race, and from which they are undoubtedly the descendants, changed by climatic influences, food, habits and methods of living. In physical appearance the Tahitians and Samoans are the handsomest and tallest of all the natives of the Pacific Islands, with the exception, perhaps, of the Maoris, or New Zealanders.

The superstition of the taboo, the use of kava as an intoxicating drink, cannibalism, infanticide, offering of human sacrifices, tattooing, and circumcision, which were formerly prevalent in Tahiti, have disappeared under the influence of Christianity.

Much has been said about the beauty of some of the women of the South Sea Islands, but I am sure I do them no injustice if I say that these descriptions are overdrawn by sentimental writers and do not correspond, when put to the test of comparison, with the reality. When young, there is something fascinating about the women, imparted by the luxurious jet-black hair, the large black eyes as they gaze at the strangers

With a smile that is childlike and bland.

FRANCIS BRET HARTE.

Beauty and youth among the Tahitian women are of short duration, and in most of them advanced age brings an undesirable degree of corpulence.

Cook visited these people when they were in their original physical and moral state. He praises their openness and generosity. "Neither does care ever seem to wrinkle their brow. On the contrary, even the approach of death does not appear to alter their usual vivacity. I have seen them, when brought to the brink of the grave by disease, and when preparing to go to battle; but in neither case, never observed their countenance overclouded with melancholy, or serious reflection. Such a disposition leads them to direct all their aims only to what can give them pleasure and ease."

The whole countenance is a certain silent language of the mind.

CICERO.

These mental traits have been preserved up to the present time. Melancholy and suicide are almost unknown in Tahiti. The people are happy, contented and free from care and anxiety and

Enjoy the pleasures of the passing hour, and bid adieu for a time to
grave pursuits.

HORATIUS.

They seem to know that

Care and the desire for more

Attend the still increasing store.

HORATIUS.

Desire for great wealth does not exist among the natives. Nature has supplied them with nearly all they need, hence little remains for them to do to meet their modest desires.

Religion has not done away entirely with superstition, and has improved their morals little, if any. Old European residents of Papeete agree that the morality of the natives has not improved since they have been under the influence of civilization, forced on them by the European invaders. The greatest fault of the people is their incurable laziness, a vice for which they are not entirely responsible, as Nature has provided so bountifully for their needs. Robbery, stealing and murder are almost unknown; petty thefts, on the contrary, are quite common. The people, young and old, are affable, extremely courteous and hospitable to a fault; the family ties strong, and extending to the remotest relatives.

Man is a social animal, and born to live together so as to regard the
world as one house.

SENECA.

Nowhere in the world are the people more sociable than in Tahiti. This sociability was perhaps more pronounced before the island was discovered than it is now, but it remains to this day as one of the prominent characteristics of the Polynesian race. Respect and love for parents, strong attachments to relatives and friends, are striking virtues of the Tahitians. They love social intercourse and have the highest regard for friendship. Poverty and misfortunes do not intercept friendships, on the contrary they cement them more firmly.

The firmest friendships have been formed in mutual adversity; as iron
is most strongly united by the fiercest flames.

COLTON.

Before European influence had made itself felt in the island, each tribe constituted a large family, and property lines were not sharply defined. As long as there was anything to eat, no one was left hungry. The Tahitians are extremely fond of mingling with their relatives, friends, members of the same and other tribes. They appreciate to the fullest extent that "we have been born to unite with fellow-men, and to join in community with the human race" (Cicero). They treat old age with reverence and respect, and take the very best care of the sick and poor.

Unity of feelings and affections is the strongest relationship.

PUBLIUS SYRUS.

Under the teachings of the missionaries, Protestant and Catholic, paganism has disappeared from the island. All are church-members and attend service regularly. The denominations represented are the Episcopalians, Catholics and Latter-day Saints in above numerical order. Most of the priests and preachers are natives. Christianity, has, however, failed to suppress immorality and do away entirely with the inborn superstition of the natives. The former evil is firmly rooted, the latter difficult of complete eradication.

Nothing has more power over the multitude than superstition: in other
respects powerless, ferocious, fickle, when it is once captivated by
superstitious notions, it obeys its priests better than its leaders.

QUINTUS CURTIUS RUFUS.

Wicked habits are productive of vice, and vice follows long-standing habits. The Tahitians are by nature kind, affectionate, and their opinions are easily moulded for good or bad, but many of their customs and habits cling to them in spite of civilization and Christianization, for "how many unjust and wicked things are done from mere habit!" (Terentius); and "so much power has custom over tender minds" (Virgilius).

The children of Tahiti are given excellent opportunities for obtaining a good elementary education. In all of the larger villages there is a government school, usually two churches. Catholic and Protestant, and their respective parochial schools. The natives love their language and are averse to the French, hence, as a rule, the parochial are better patronized than the government schools. The literature in the Tahitian language is limited to translations of the Bible, catechisms, religious song books and a few school books. Children of the better classes who seek a higher education, go abroad, in preference to the United States. Few show any ambition to enter any of the professions with the exception of the clerical. The mass of the people are content in leading an easy, dreamy life, showing no disposition either to acquire wealth or fame. Agriculture, manufacture and commerce have no attraction for them. They are children from the cradle to the grave, have the desires of children, and are pleased with what pleases children. Their tastes are simple, their desires few, and instead of in care and worry, they live through their span of life in peace of mind and contentment.

But if men would live according to reason's rules, they would find the
greatest riches to live content with little, for there is never want
where the mind is satisfied.

LUCRETIUS.

In contrast to the Westerner, the favored Tahitian can say:

I have everything, yet have nothing; and although I possess nothing,
still of nothing am I in want.

TERRENCE.

The natives are temperate in drinking, and frugal in eating. Fish and fruit are their principal articles of diet. Their habits in this direction have not undergone much change since Captain Cook wrote:

Their common diet is made up of at least nine-tenths vegetable food;
and, I believe, more particularly, the _mahee_, or fermented breadfruit,
which enters almost every meal, has a remarkable effect upon them,
preventing a costive habit, and producing a very sensible coolness
about them, which could not be perceived in us who fed on animal food.
And it is, perhaps, owing to this temperate course of life that they
have so few diseases among them.

Smoking is indulged in only to a moderate extent, cigarettes and pipe being the favorite methods of consuming the weed.

Art has never had a place in the minds of the Tahitians. All attempts in this direction in design, carving and sculpture, are rude. Like all primitive peoples, they are fond of music. Their voices are sweet, but the airs of their music are monotonous. The primitive drum, and a little crude instrument made of bamboo, something like a flute, placed in one of the nostrils when played, are the instruments in most common use. The national dance, formerly the principal amusement of the people, is discouraged by the government, but is allowed once a year as a special favor to the natives.

FOREIGNERS IN TAHITI

Most of the foreigners who remain permanently in Tahiti become attached to the island by marriage, the strongest possible incentive to make it their permanent home. Many of these men are adventurers. Some of them have honest intentions to make this beautiful island their permanent home. Far away from their place of birth and relatives, charmed by the beauties of the island, they conclude:

I will take some savage woman; she shall rear my dusky race.

TENNYSON.

In many instances such unions have resulted very happily. On the voyage from San Francisco to Tahiti, I met Mr. George R. Richardson, a native of Springfield, Mass., who had lived for the last thirty years, with his native wife on the little atoll island, Kaukuaia of the Tuamotu group, one hundred and sixty-eight miles from Tahiti. He was suffering from carcinoma of the esophagus, and was returning from San Francisco, whither he had gone for medical advice. His parents were still living, but he had no desire to visit the place of his birth, so fully had he become acclimated to the climatic and native conditions of the Society Islands. He was then fifty-five years of age. He left the United States March 4, 1874, on a sailing vessel, and six months later landed at Tahxa. In six months he had obtained a fair knowledge of the native language, and married in Kaukuaia a woman who could not speak a word of English. This union resulted in sixteen children, three of whom died, six girls and seven boys living at the present time, and of these, three girls and two boys are married. Through his wife he inherited from her mother five acres of land with three thousand cocoanut-palms. To this land he obtained a legal ownership eight years ago by virtue of a law of legal registration passed by the government. The island on which he lives contains only one hundred and fifty inhabitants and the only income is obtained from copra and mother-of-pearl.

The inhabitants of this island are Catholics and Mormons. A Catholic priest comes once a month to minister to the spiritual needs of the adherents to the faith of his church. The services of both denominations are conducted in the native language. He and a Frenchman are the only white inhabitants of the island.

On February 16, 1878, a great storm overflooded the island and our American, who spent a whole night in the crown of a cocoanut tree, lost everything. Only five thousand cocoanut trees were left on the whole island. A man-of-war came from Tahiti three days later and ministered to the urgent needs of the survivors.

The inhabitants of this little island suffer frequently from malaria and grippe. The latter disease returns regularly almost every year. Of the remaining diseases, diarrhea and dysentery are the most common. Tuberculosis is prevalent and claims many victims. This island has now a population of one hundred and fifty, and during his residence he has never seen a physician, although the inhabitants were frequently in need of medical services. He was obliged to render his wife assistance at the birth of all of his children, and strangely, each time without any mishap, either to mother or child. What happened on that island must have happened on the many other distant islands under similar circumstances. Here, like elsewhere, in the South Sea Islands, are medicine-men who attend to tooth-pulling, and, when any cutting is to be done, a scalpel is made of a piece of glass. In case of sickness they make use of roots and herbs of their own gathering.

BUSINESS IN TAHITI

The Tahitian is not a business man. What little business is transacted in the island is done by foreigners. The larger stores in Papeete are owned and managed by French, Germans and Americans. The smaller stores in the city, and nearly all small shops in the villages, are in the hands of Chinamen.

The fertile soil of Tahiti is not made use of to any considerable extent. The sugar industry has been tried but has been entirely abandoned, owing to high wages for labor and exorbitant freight rates. The principal articles of export are copra, cocoanuts, vanilla-beans and mother-of-pearl shells. Copra (dried meat of cocoanut), brings three cents a kilo and cocoanuts are sold at a cent apiece. The raising of vanilla-beans was a paying industry five years ago, when they commanded a price of seventeen dollars a pound, and were then eagerly sought for in the market, as they were considered superior in flavor to those of any other country. The Chinamen have ruined this source of income as well as the reputation of the product. These shrewd business men control the local market completely and go from place to place long before harvest-time, buy the whole crop for the year for cash, and have the beans picked before they are ripe and mature them artificially. The result of such dishonest transactions has been that, owing to the poor quality of the beans thus treated, the price of the article has been reduced to three or four dollars per pound.

The vanilla-bean grows best in the shady forests, and requires but little attention except artificial fertilization of the flowers and picking of the beans. In the West Indies the numerous insects fertilize the monogamous flowers; in this island, this has to be done largely by artificial fecundation. Women and children do this work. With a sharp little stick, the pollen is taken from the anthers and rubbed over the stigma of the pistil. A child who is active can fertilize fifteen hundred flowers a day. It is a great pity that this industry has been cheapened by the avaricious Chinamen, as it is an industry that requires very little labor and should be remunerative, as the soil and climate are peculiarly well adapted for the cultivation of this valuable aromatic.

Most of the fruit which grows in Tahiti is too perishable for transportation and is consequently very cheap. The largest and most luscious pineapples can be bought for three cents apiece, oranges one-fourth of a cent. Alligator pears, the finest fruit grown anywhere, are sold at the market for two and three cents apiece. At the time of my visit, eggs were sold at forty cents a dozen. Meat, with the exception of pork, is imported from New Zealand and the United States. Most of the native families raise hogs, and this animal is found also in a wild state in the jungles of the forests.

The wages, for this island, are rather high. An ordinary laborer is paid seventy-five cents a day, and the women who are willing to work can earn fifty cents a day. The average Tahitian works only long enough to procure the necessities of life, and, as these are few, it is difficult to find men and women for ordinary labor and housework.

The fact that there is no bank in the whole island shows that the amount of money which circulates among the people is very small. Some enterprising American attempted to establish a telephone line encircling the island, but lack of patronage soon paralyzed the undertaking. The island is a place for a dreamy, easy existence, and not for business.

The communication with the outside world is carried on by two regular steamer lines, one from San Francisco, the other from Auckland, but both of these lines are supported by liberal government subsidies to make them remunerative, as the passenger traffic and the exports and imports of the island would not suffice to make them independent of government aid.

OLD TAHITI

What will not length of time be able to change?

CLAUDIANUS.

Tahiti is exceedingly interesting to-day, but how much more so must it have been to Captain Wallis and his crew, who first set their eyes on this gem of the Pacific! When the _Dolphin_ came in sight of this beautiful island that never before had been seen by a white man, we can readily imagine officers and crew straining their eyes to see first its rugged outlines, and later the details of the wonderful landscapes. Under the blue sky and lighted up by the vigorous rays of the tropic sun, they could see the mountain-peaks clothed in the verdure of a tropic forest, the little island set like a gem in the ocean, and, as they beheld these mountains and turned their eyes upward they could also see

They were canopied by the blue sky, so cloudless, clear, and purely
beautiful that God alone was to be seen in heaven.

BYRON.

As they approached nearer and saw the natural wealth of the island and its happy inhabitants basking in the sunshine, eating what Nature had provided for them without care or toil on their part, they must have come to the unavoidable conclusion that they at last had found a land where

There was a never-ending spring, and flowers unsown were kissed by the
warm western breeze. Then the unploughed land gave forth corn, and the
ground, year after year, was white with full ears of grain. Rivers of
milk, rivers of nectar ran, and the yellow honey continued to pour
from the ever-green oak.

OVIDIUS.

On landing, having overcome the animosity of the natives and ascertained the boundless resources of the island, they could not escape the conviction that they in their wanderings over the limitless sea, had at last found "a heaven on earth" (Milton).

What wonderful stories those men must have brought to Europe on their return after the long and hazardous voyage, when they related what they had seen in Tahiti, then in its primitive native state! Captain Cook made a longer stay in the island on his first visit and had therefore a better opportunity to study the island, its resources and its interesting inhabitants. It is on his descriptions we will rely in giving an account of some of the traits, customs and habits of the people as they existed at that time.

RELIGION OF THE NATIVES

Every one is, in a small degree, the image of God.

MANLIUS.

The most primitive of all races have some conception of a divinity and a life hereafter, for

A god has his abode within our breast; when he rouses us, the glow of
inspiration warms us; this holy rapture springs from the seeds of the
divine mind sown in man.

OVIDIUS.

Let us listen to Captain Cook concerning the religion of the Tahitians before they knew the name of God and the story of the Saviour while on earth:

The common people have only a very vague idea of the religious
sentiments of the race, but the priests, who are quite numerous, have
established quite an extensive and somewhat complicated system. They
do not worship one God, as possessing preeminence; but believe in a
plurality of divinities, who are all supposed to be very powerful,
and, as different parts of the island, and the other islands in the
neighborhood, have different ones, the inhabitants of such, no doubt,
think that they have chosen the most potent and considerate one. Their
devotion in serving their gods is remarkably conspicuous. Not only the
whattas or offering-places of the morals are commonly loaded with
fruits and animals, but there are few houses lacking a small place of
the same sort. Many of them are so impressed with their obligations to
their divinity that they will not begin a meal without first laying
aside a morsel for their Eatooa (their god).

Their prayers are also very frequent, which they chant, much after the
manner of songs, in their festive entertainments. They also believe in
an evil spirit, they call Etee, who sometimes does them mischief, and
to whom, as well as to their god, they make offerings.

But the mischiefs they fear from any superior invisible beings are
confined only to temporal things. They believe the soul to be both
immaterial and immortal. They say that it keeps fluttering about the
lips during the pangs of death, and that then it ascends and mixes
with, or, as they express it, is eaten by the deity. In this state it
remains for some time; after which it departs to a certain place
destined for the reception of the souls of men, where it exists in
eternal night, or, as they sometimes say, in twilight or dawn. They
have no idea of any permanent punishment after death for crimes that
they have committed on earth. They believe in the recognition of
relatives and friends after death and in resuming the same relations
as on earth. If the husband dies first, the soul of his wife is known
to him on its arrival in the land of spirits. They resume their former
acquaintance, in a spacious house, where the souls of the deceased
assemble to recreate themselves with the gods. From here man and wife
retire to their own habitation, where they remain forever.

The most singular part of their faith consists in claiming that not
only man, but all other animals, trees, fruit and even stones are
endowed with a soul, which at death, or upon being consumed or broken,
ascends to the divinity, with whom they first mix, and afterward pass
into the mansion allotted to each.

The temples of the Tahitians were the maraes, enclosures of stones, where the offerings were rendered, and on certain occasions human beings were sacrificed. The largest marae ever built in Tahiti is located at Papara and the ruins of it remain to-day. At the time of Captain Cook's visit there were numerous maraes all over the island, which served as places of worship, sacrifice and burial. The supreme chief of the whole island was always housed in a marae and after his death the marae was appropriated to his family and some of the principal people. Such a marae differed little from the common ones, except in extent. Its principal part is a large, oblong pile of stones, lying loosely upon each other, about twelve or fourteen feet high, contracted towards the top, with a square area on each side, loosely packed with pebble stones, under which the bones of the chiefs are buried. At a little distance from the end nearest the sea is the place where the sacrifices are offered, which, for a considerable extent, is also loosely paved. There is here a very large scaffold, or whatta, on which the offerings, and other vegetables, are laid. But the animals are deposited on a smaller one, already mentioned, and the human sacrifices are buried under different parts of the pavement. The marae is the altar of other nations. The skulls of the human sacrifices, after a few months, are exhumed and preserved in the marae.

Captain Cook counted forty-nine such skulls in the marae in which he witnessed the human sacrifice.

Cannibalism did not exist in Tahiti when the island was discovered, but human sacrifices were quite frequently offered as a kind of religious ceremony to appease the anger or displeasure of some offended god. The victims were tramps and persons of no vocation. They were either clubbed or stoned to death by persons designated for this purpose by the priests. On Saturday, August 30, 1777, while Captain Cook was stationed at Matavai for the purpose of observing the transit of Venus, he received a message that on the following day a human sacrifice would be made at Attahura, to Eatooa, to implore the assistance of the deity against the inhabitants of the island of Moorea, who were then in a state of war with Tahiti. Towha, a chief and relative of the then reigning king, had killed a man for the sacrifice. Captain Cook, with several friends, accompanied King Otoo to witness the ceremony, and describes the event in detail:

On our way we landed upon a little island, which lies off Tettaha,
where we found Towha and his retinue. After some little conversation
between the two chiefs, on the subject of the war, Towha addressed
himself to me, asking my assistance. When I excused myself, he seemed
angry; thinking it strange I, who had always declared myself to be the
friend of their island, should not go and fight against its enemies.
Before we parted he gave to Otoo two or three red feathers, tied up in
a tuft; and a lean, half-starved dog was put in a canoe that was to
accompany us. We then embarked again, taking on board a priest who was
to assist at the solemnity. As soon as we landed at Attahura, which
was about two o'clock in the afternoon, Otoo expressed his desire that
the seamen might be ordered to remain in the boat, and that Mr.
Anderson, Mr. Webber and myself might take off our hats as soon as we
should come to the marai, to which we immediately proceeded, attended
by a great many men, and some boys, but not one woman. We found four
priests and their attendants, or assistants, waiting for us.

The dead body, or sacrifice, was in a small canoe that lay on the
beach and partly in the water of the sea, fronting the marai. Two of
the priests, with some of the attendants, were sitting by the canoe,
the others at the marai. Our company stopped about twenty or thirty
paces from the priests. Here Otoo placed himself; we, and a few others
standing by him, while the bulk of the people remained at a greater
distance. The ceremony now began. One of the priest's attendants
brought a young plantain tree, and laid it down before Otoo. Another
approached with a small tuft of red feathers, twisted on some fibres
of the cocoanut husk, with which he touched one of the King's, feet
and then retired with it to his companions. One of the priests, seated
at the marai, facing those who were upon the beach, now began a long
prayer; and, at certain times, sent down young plantain trees, which
were laid upon the sacrifice. During this prayer, a man, who stood by
the officiating priest, held in his hands two bundles, seemingly of
cloth. One of them, as we afterward found, was the royal Maro; and the
other, if I may be allowed the expression, was the ark of the Eatooa.
As soon as the prayer was ended, the priests at the marai, with their
attendants, went and sat down by those upon the beach, carrying with
them the two bundles. Here they renewed their prayers, during which
the plantain trees were taken, one by one, at different times, from
off the sacrifice, which was partly wrapped up in cocoa-leaves and
small branches.

It was now taken out of the canoe and laid upon the beach, with the
feet to the sea. The priests placed themselves around it, some sitting
and others standing; and one, or more of them, repeated sentences for
about ten minutes. The dead body was now uncovered, by removing the
leaves and branches, and laid in a parallel direction with the
seashore. One of the priests then, standing at the feet of it,
pronounced a long prayer, in which he was, at times, joined by the
others, each holding in his hand a tuft of red feathers. In the course
of this prayer, some hair was pulled off the head of the sacrifice,
and the left eye taken out; both of which were presented to Otoo, and
wrapped up in a green leaf. He did not, however, touch it; but gave,
to the man who presented it, the tuft of feathers, which he had
received from Towha. This, with the hair and the eye, was carried back
to the priests. Soon after, Otoo sent to them another piece of
feathers, which he had given me in the morning to keep in my pocket.
During some part of this last ceremony, a kingfisher making a noise in
the trees, Otoo turned to me saying, "That is the Eatooa;" and seemed
to look upon it to be a good omen.

The body was then carried a little way, with its head toward the
marai, and laid under a tree, near which were fixed three broad, thin
pieces of wood, differently but rudely carved. The bundles of cloth
were laid on a part of the marai, and the tufts of red feathers were
placed at the feet of the sacrifice, round which the priests took
their stations, and we were now allowed to go as near as we pleased.
He seemed to be the chief priest who sat at a small distance, and
spoke for a quarter of an hour, but with different tones and gestures;
so that he seemed often to expostulate with the dead person, to whom
he constantly addressed himself, and sometimes asked several
questions, seemingly with respect to the propriety of his having been
killed. At other times, he made several demands, as if the deceased
either now had power himself, or interest with the divinity, to engage
him to comply with such requests. Among the petitions we understood,
he asked him to deliver Eimeo (Moorea), Maheine its chief, the hogs,
women and other things of the island into their hands; which was,
indeed, the express intention of the sacrifice. He then chanted a
prayer, which lasted nearly half an hour, in whining, melancholy tone,
accompanied by two other priests, and in which Potatou and some others
joined. In the course of this prayer, some more hair was plucked by a
priest from the head of the corpse, and put upon one of the bundles.
After this, the chief priest prayed alone, holding in his hand the
feathers which came from Towha. When he had finished, he gave them to
another, who prayed in like manner. Then all the tufts of the feathers
were laid upon the bundles of cloth, which closed the ceremony at this
place.

The corpse was then carried up to the most conspicuous part of the
marai, with the feathers, the two bundles of cloth, and the drums, the
last of which beat slowly. The feathers and bundles were laid against
the pile of stones, and the corpse at the foot of them. The priests
having again seated themselves round it, renewed their prayers, while
some of their attendants dug a hole about two feet deep, into which
they threw the unhappy victim, and covered it over with earth and
stones. While they were putting him into the grave, a boy squeaked
aloud and Omai (Captain Cook's interpreter) said that it was the
Eatooa.

The human sacrifice was followed by the offering of dogs and pigs. The
many prayers and complicated ceremonies attending human sacrifice
stamp it as a religious rite which has undoubtedly been practiced for
centuries. In this particular instance it meant a message through the
instrumentality of the unfortunate victim to implore Eatooa for
assistance in the impending war with Moorea.

It is very interesting indeed to have an account of this ceremony preserved by an eyewitness like Captain Cook, and no apology is necessary here to have it reappear in all its minute details. Another religious ceremony of lesser import is circumcision. How this custom was introduced into Tahiti no one knows. It is more than probable that, in some way it came from the distant Orient in a modified form. It differs from the Jewish rite in that it is not performed on infants, but on boys approaching the age of puberty. Captain Cook gives the following description of the operation as he observed it:

When there are five or six lads pretty well grown up in a neighborhood
the father of one of them goes to a Tahoua, or man of knowledge, and
lets him know. He goes with the lads to the top of the hills, attended
by a servant; and, seating one of them properly, introduces a piece of
wood underneath the foreskin, and desires him to look aside at
something he pretends is coming. Having thus engaged the young man's
attention to another object, he cuts through the skin upon the wood,
with a shark's tooth, generally at one stroke. He then separates, or
rather turns back, the divided parts; and, having put on a bandage,
proceeds to perform the same operation on the other lads. At the end
of five days they bathe, and the bandages being taken off, the matter
is cleaned away. At the end of five days more they bathe again, and
are well; but a thickness of the prepuce, where it was cut, remaining,
they go again to the mountains with the Tahoua and servant; and a fire
being prepared, and some stones heated, the Tahoua puts the prepuce
between two of them, and squeezes it gently, which removes the
thickness. They then return home, having their heads and other parts
of their bodies, adorned with odoriferous flowers, and the Tahoua is
rewarded for his services by their fathers, in proportion to their
several abilities, with presents of hogs and cloth; and if they be
poor, their relations are liberal on the occasion.

How the wise man managed to keep the boys together during two such painful ordeals is not easy to understand, but as they remained at their posts until all had passed through it speaks volumes for their good behavior and manly courage. That the Tahitians possessed many admirable virtues during their paganism proves only too clearly that

Virtue is shut out from no one; she is open to all, accepts all,
invites all, gentlemen, freedmen, slaves, kings and exiles; she
selects neither house nor fortune; she is satisfied with a human
without adjuncts.

SENECA.

These virtues, the prayers, the sacrifices, the belief in a supreme being and eternity, show that the Tahitians were imbued with a natural religion, for

The existence of God is so many ways manifest and the obedience we owe
Him so congruous to the light of reason, that a great part of mankind
give testimony to the law of nature.

LOCKE.

The natives had no literature nor any communication with the outside world farther than the neighboring island groups. Their only book was nature, and this was read and studied with eagerness and intelligence. Their ancient history consisted of legendary lore handed down from generation to generation. But

There are books extant which they must needs allow of as proper
evidence; even the mighty volumes of visible nature, and the
everlasting tables of right reason.

BENTLEY.

From century to century, from generation to generation, these people, without leaving a permanent record of what had happened and without being conscious of art or science, lived and died in a state of happiness and contentment.

For he had no catechism but the creation, needed no study but
recollection, and read no book but the volume of the world.

SOUTH.

That ignorance and vice should have existed among this primitive people, so completely isolated from the progressive part of the world, is not strange, as they lived in a land of plenty, fed and clothed, as it were, by the almost unaided resources of nature, conditions largely responsible for their inborn laziness. Ignorance and superstition go hand in hand. The Tahitians have always been extremely superstitious and both civilization and Christianization have been powerless in eradicating this national evil. We must, however, judge them not too severely in this matter, as superstition is by no means uncommon amongst us at the present day. Our best poets are not exempt from it.

I think it is the weakness of mine eyes

That shapes this wondrous apparition:

It comes upon me!

SHAKESPEARE.

Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth unseen, both when we
wake and when we sleep.

MILTON.