The rain fell in torrents the day succeeding our arrival, and it was not
until Sunday that I had courage to set foot on shore: then I went solus,
and jumping on the beach, two minutes' walk found me in the Broom Road,
a broad lane running nearly the entire circuit of Tahiti, within a
stone's throw of the surf-locked lagoons, shaded like a bower by
magnificent trees and undergrowth, that hang their drooping, green arms
in grateful coolness, to shield the traveller from the heat of tropical
suns. Notwithstanding mud from recent rains, the roads and lateral paths
were thronged with natives: I was surprised to find them so much
superior in physical mould and beauty to those of other islands we had
visited. The men were well proportioned, and some with a noble bearing;
the women were very tall, scarcely one less than five feet eight; many
of the young girls were exquisitely shaped, with small hands and feet.
Moreover, they had borrowed a nicer taste in dress from the French, and
their gowns and bonnets were very becomingly worn.
I splashed and trudged about the Broom Road until evening, and then,
following the tide of population, entered the well laid out grounds of
the gubernatorial mansion. The lawns and alleys were crowded with
natives, officers and soldiers, listening to the evening music; this
over, I devoted the evening wandering from cafe to cafe, and wondering
if I were in France or Tahiti. Lights were gleaming from every little
auberge and cabaret of the town--the tables within covered with pipes
and bottles of red wine--soldiers were drinking and chanting favorite
songs of Beranger; and one inebriated sapper, meeting me in the road,
placed both hands on my shoulders, and roared out, with but an
indifferent appreciation of music:
"J'ai connu Moreau--Victor--Argerau--
Et Murat--Et Massen--a--a--
Vash a fling a flong--tra a long, a long--!"
The streets were filled with groups of gaily-attired native girls, who,
with low, musically laughing voices, were chattering their soft, vowelly
dialect, unceasingly, interrupted occasionally by some gallant
Frenchman, who would perhaps give a stray damsel a chuck under the chin,
or a hasty clasp around the waist, and pass on, regardless of their
lively sallies. Then overgrown gend'armes would be perceptible in the
distance, by their white cotton aguillettes and clashing sabres, when
the nymphs would disappear like frightened partridges amid the adjacent
groves, and all were hushed in an instant, until the dreadful police had
passed by, when they would again emerge and occupy their former ground.
Then, too, the light yellowish tinge of plastered houses, so often seen
in France--the thatched cane huts of the natives--sentinels pacing the
ramparts--near by, a brass field-piece gazing up the road--and beneath
the spreading bread fruit, or under the stately trunk of a cocoanut, a
soldier in red breeches, resting on the shining barrel of his musket.
All this, with the profusion of tropical foliage, the grand scenery of
the island, and a thousand other novel scenes, so strangely contrasted
with _demi-bar-bare_ life, that I became quite bewildered, and was glad
to make the acquaintance of an agreeable French officer, who, with a
bottle of Bourdeaux, soon brought me to my senses.
I passed the night on shore, in the warehouse of an American merchant,
and should probably have slept well, in defiance of musquitoes, had not
a choice coterie of _sous-officers_, in an adjoining cabaret,
within-arm's length of my window, made vociferous music, by screaming
Republican airs until daylight, very much incited, no doubt, by
continual cries of _Encore du vin, mon cher_, and the usual ringing
accompaniment of bottles and glasses.
Rising betimes, I donned walking dress, and after breakfast, in company
with my friend Larry and an officer of the French Marine, who spoke the
Tahitian dialect perfectly well, we left Papeetee for an excursion up
the Broom Road towards Point Venus.
The rain had quenched the dust, and there was a grateful freshness
clinging around the lime and orange groves. The sun had not yet drank
the sparkling diamond-drops of dew trembling upon the guava thickets,
nor had the breeze shaken a leaf of the towering cocoanuts, nor vibrated
a single sphere of bread-fruit that hung like pendulums from amid the
glossy leaves. The air, too, was heavy with perfume of orange and
jessamine--and we went larking along the quiet road--kicking up our
heels and whooping joyously--pausing a moment to catch a gleaming view
of the slender peaks above us--the conspicuous Diadem of Faatoar--the
green savannahs sloping up the valleys, or the blue sea and reef as yet
undazzled by the rising sun.
We dallied frequently with young cocoanuts, and said _aroha_--love to
you--to any lithe _vahinees_ we encountered in our path. Once we tarried
for repose and beer at a French auberge, and then, without further
break to our voyage, we continued on along the curves of the reef-locked
shores for some miles, when a lane branched away to the left, and we
came to the new country house of Pomarce at Papoa.
It stands on a narrow coralline embankment, within a bound of the
smooth, pebbly beach--surrounded by noble trees, and overhanging
clusters of the richest tropical foliage. The building is an oblong
oval, one hundred feet by thirty. Through the centre runs a range of
square, polished columns of light koa wood, eighteen feet high,
supporting a cross-sleeper the whole length of the roof: from this beam,
drooping down at an angle of about fifty degrees, were a great number of
white, glistening poles, radiating with perfect evenness and regularity
to within six feet of the ground, where they were notched and tied
securely with braids of variegated sennit to ridge-pieces fitted in
posts around the circuit of the building. The roof was thatched with the
long, dried, tapering leaves of pandannus, folded on slim wands, and
plaited in regular lines, down to the eaves, where, just within, fell a
few inches of plain fringed matting nicely stitched to the roof. Inside
this curtain, again, were the perpendicular sides of the dwelling,
constructed of the same white poles of hibiscus as those upholding the
roof, and all lashed by braid to cross sections between the
posts--leaving narrow spaces between each pole, and but two arches for
doorways on the side opposite the sea.
The house was quite new, and indeed hardly completed, but with the
breeze blowing through the open trellis-worked walls, and the great
lofty roof hanging lightly above, it presented the most airy, fanciful
structure conceivable, and was admirably adapted to the climate and
habits of the Islanders.
The floor was carpeted with dried grass and rushes, six inches deep;
mats were scattered around, groups of swarthy natives were lounging
listlessly on the grass, and bands of girls and women engaged weaving
mats, scraping cocoanut shells to transparent thinness, playing cards,
or sleeping on the laps of others.
The Queen was absent on a visit to the island of Aimeo. She was
described as a brave, temperate, fat old lady of about forty years, who
has never yet been able to overcome youthful prejudices against European
style of living--and although the French have built and furnished her a
pleasant residence in Papeetee, she is still happy to kick off
etiquette, with her shoes, and fly to native pleasures and kindred. She
was blessed with a large family, and six were being educated in Aimeo by
the English Mission, who with great liberality would voluntarily defray
the expenses of their education, as well as of the children of the high
chiefs; but the Governor very properly sets aside portions of their
pensions for that purpose, which is undoubtedly the best use the money
can be put to. As Pomaree detests the French, and cannot be persuaded to
assume, except for a moment, European manners and customs, she neither
assumes any of their virtues, but leads a rollicking, sportive life,
surrounded by gay troupes of frolicsome attendants--spending the
remainder of her five thousand dollar stipend in decking her dark-eyed
favorites with pretty dresses and trinkets.
Mr. Ellis has written an interesting poem, filled with virtuous
indignation in relation to the poor Queen's wrongs, and there is one
couplet which is unfortunately too true--
"Who would believe that England would have left
That _trusting_ Queen thus suffering and bereft?"
The fact is, the beautiful, princess Aimata that was, is now by her own
imprudence low in purse, and having acquired the habit of coquetting too
extensively with tradesmen and merchants of Papeetee, she finds
difficulty in getting trusted before her pension falls due. Still, with
all her foibles, she was universally acknowledged to be a woman of
strong sense and character, adored by her subjects, and respected by
foreigners.
After idling an hour with a few of the young ladies of the court, who
were making preparations for their sovereign's reception, we left the
Palace, and keeping along the shelly strand, passed through a sacred
grove of iron-wood, whose gauze-like branches waved over the tombs of
the ancient kings of Tahiti. There was naught to be seen, save heaps of
mouldering coral ruins--thence crossing a point of the reef, which
closed upon the beach, we reached one of many indentations of the
Island, Matavai bay, and shortly afterwards came upon a native
school-house. The building was large and dilapidated--the rush-laid
floor was occupied with forms for the scholars, who were seated about in
rows. Some of the girls had very pretty, attractive faces, and nearly
all of both sexes wore around the brow and hair, chaplets of braid
entwined with red and white flowers--orange or jessamine--having
tasteful tassels of fresh blossoms hanging down behind the ear. They
were not the most quiet school in the world, but applied to their tasks
with great spirit and quickness. The teacher was an odd fish in his
way--of the dwarf species--scarcely five feet in altitude--but from his
peculiar build, he looked to me growing larger and larger every instant.
The head was immense--hair white and cropped--the face expressed
firmness, benevolence and intelligence. His body and arms were those of
a giant, while the lower limbs tapered away to nothing, half shrouded in
blue tappa, and over all he wore a flowing, yellow shirt.
The roll was called, and I noticed a few urchins, who were tardy in
arriving, whimpering, from which I surmised they were at times indulged
with the bamboo. A hymn was sung in good time; and although the girls
had soft clear voices, there was little musical taste. In conclusion, an
extemporaneous prayer was made--all kneeling--by a venerable native, who
was afflicted, like many of his race, with _elephantiasis_. At the word
"Amen," the little pupils gave a joyous whoop, and leaped pell-mell
through the doorways.
Returning by the Broom Road, which is never beyond a few yards from the
sea, we paid a visit to another hencoop habitation, owning for its lord,
Arupeii, brother to the Queen's last husband, and his wife a cousin to
Pomaree herself. They were a fine-looking couple, and the chieftainess,
with her pretty baby, struck me as particularly handsome.
Dinner was preparing, and we passed the time pleasantly, lounging on
mats, and smoking pipes. The first preparation for the feast was made by
a plump girl, in an extremely brief petticoat, who ascended a tree above
our heads, and picked an armful of broad round leaves, which afterwards
were used for a tablecloth. They were carefully lapped one upon the
other in rows on the ground, and mats and low stools placed near them.
The girl, whom we christened Jack, from a peculiar roll in her gait,
assisted by two more attendants, ranged a close platoon of youthful
cocoanuts, with mouths open like lids, along the centre of the board; on
either side were laid transparent shell goblets--the dark filled with
sea-water and the light with fresh. Thus much for the table-service. Now
came in on a huge wooden platter a baked pig, his dear little trotters,
tail, and even to the extremity of his snout, crisped and browned most
invitingly. In a trice Jack twisted a brace of leaves around her
fingers, seized the tempting grunter, and hey! presto! no articulator of
anatomical celebrity, no, not even the professional carver mentioned by
Sir Walter, who dissected becaficos into such multitudes of morsels,
could have more cunningly divided the dish, giving each of the company
an equal share. Now came a stack of roasted bread-fruit. Jack, with
gloves of more fresh leaves on her hands, peeled, halved, tore out the
seeds, and tossed them from platter to table, with the dexterity of a
juggler at his tricks. Then there came piles of taro, and snow-white
yams; heaps of oranges, and golden pineapples, with bunches of bananas
in the offing.
We were six at table, seated, _a la Turque_, on mats. The servants first
handed shells of fresh water; and, by the way, every one knows who
invented steam-engines, playing-cards, and pin-making; yet in the
absence of positive information, I claim the finger-glass as of Tahitian
origin, and wish it to be generally understood. Then falling to, and
with a fragment of bread-fruit crushed within the hand, and a delicate
bit of crisped pig dipped in salt-water, by way of castors, we munched
and sucked our digits alternately, until the heavy edibles were well
nigh consumed; when laving again, dessert of fruits were distributed,
the goblets once more went round, we rinsed our throats with cocoanut
milk, and thus ended the feast. We had a _chasse_ of pipes and brandy;
but this last was purely an innovation on a native dinner.
Our comely hostess was treated with great deference and respect, none of
the attendants presuming to sit in her presence; indeed, we were
entertained by distinguished nobs of the true Tahitian nobility, and all
was _maitai_. Previous to the repast, we had dispatched a courier on
horseback to the Port for wine, and, before dark, he returned, with but
the breakage of a single bottle, and somewhat inebriated--so we judged
he had broken the vessel after tasting the contents; but the matter was
not satisfactorily proven; there was still abundance, and the cups
circulated freely.
The pretty chieftainess smiled, the baby took a sip and crowed like a
chicken. Arupeii facing me, cross-legged, laughed outright, and related
by signs, and a few words I could comprehend, many reminiscences of war
and battles--ships of war and their commanders, with unpronounceable
names--all of whom, I assured him, were my intimate friends and near
relations.
Later in the evening, we walked to a running stream hard by, and, with
the full moon above us, and while
"Hesper, the star with amorous eye,
Shot his fine sparkle from the deep blue sky,"
twinkling over the grotesque heights of Aimeo, the air laden with the
odor of orange and jessamine, we waded into the brook, and diverted
ourselves by plashing water upon a group of maids of honor who had
followed us.
Before we knew it, a heavy black cloud had stolen from the shade of the
high mountains, and we had barely time to snatch our garments from the
grass and scamper through the grove, before the rain was upon us: it
passed as quickly--the wine was exhausted--the chieftainess presented me
with a shell goblet, and bidding good night to our noble entertainers we
were escorted to the palace of Pomaree, where the chief in waiting had
large fine mats laid for couches, curtained by rolls of tappa, and with
the moonlight glancing on the foaming reef, visible through the
cage-built house, and the water rippling on the sandy shore, we betook
ourselves to rest. Our repose was shortly disturbed by a regiment of
juveniles who marched before the palace, chaunting, with great
vociferation, the Marseilles hymn, giving the word "battalion" in full
chorus; then, much to our astonishment, they struck up "Jim along,
Josey," and concluded the opera with "Dan Tucker," set to native words.
At this stage of the concert, our host, by request, made a few remarks,
and the performers vanished.
Fleas were excessively troublesome, and, during the night, to get rid of
the annoyance, we had several dips in the lagoon, which was an easy
matter, since the water was nearly at the foot of our couches. Once I
was on the point of shifting my bed of mats to the beach, under a clump
of cocoanuts, but our host would not hear of it--declaring it was _ita
maitai! ita maitai!_--impossible! not good! Indeed I afterwards found
the practice was never indulged in by the natives--for should one of
these heavy nuts--and they are very large--many containing a full quart
of milk, to say nothing of the weight of shell and husk--falling from an
elevation of nigh an hundred feet, chance to alight on the cocoanut of
the sleeper, it is reasonable to suppose it would damage his ideas or
slumber: besides, large rats ascend the trees, and sometimes detach the
fruit, while knawing into the tender nut: crabs, too, the sagacious
creatures, crawl up the trunks whose branches incline over the rocky
shores, cut the stem with their claws, and the concussion attending the
fall splits them wide open, or cracks them ready for eating. I never saw
them at these pranks, but have the information from reliable authority.
As the daylight guns from the Port of Papeetee came booming and echoing
among the mountains, we sprang to our feet, swallowed a cooling draught
of cocoanut milk, enjoyed another bathe in the stream, and then trudged
gaily back to town.
A few days later, we were visited by our hospitable friend, Arupeii! He
was shown every attention, and, at the usual hour, placed his heels
under the gun-room mahogany. He dispensed with forks, and ate
indiscriminately of viands, vegetables, and other dainties; occasionally
storing away bits of bread and ham in the flowing bosom of his shirt,
for, no doubt, a more convenient season. He never let a bottle pass him,
either of port, sherry, or malt, appreciating brandy most, and having a
fancy for drinking all from tumblers. With these little solecisms, he
got on famously, and, at the termination of the dinner, patted his
portly person and shouted _maitai_.
I do not know whether it be considered with the Tahitian aristocracy
complimentary to covet a neighbor's goods, but certainly my stout
chieftain was the most shameless beggar I ever remembered to have any
dealings with. He volunteered to accept hatbands, plugs of tobacco,
sealing wax, pistols, newspapers, anything and everything he saw, until,
at the end of the third glass of strong waters after dinner, he
requested, as a particular favor, the mess candlesticks, when, losing
all patience, I told him his boat was waiting, so he hitched up his
trousers, offered to rub noses, and with a present for his handsome wife
stowed in the capacious shirt, we shook hands, and away he paddled on
shore. This was the last we saw of Arupeii.
The frigate was always, Sundays excepted, surrounded by canoes filled
with the natives, and they must have made a golden harvest, to judge
from the immense quantities of fruits constantly coming over the
gangways--so great was the demand for cocoanuts, that they were rafted
off from the shore in strings, like water-casks. The canoes were
awkwardly hewn out of rough logs, with ill-arranged, misshapen
outriggers; quite unlike the buoyant, swift little water vehicles of the
Sandwich Islanders.
One day, attended by a tidy little reefer, we hired a clumsy, crazy
equipage, with a copper and indigo-colored monster in the stern to
paddle us about the reef and harbor. It was low water, and as our canoe
drew but an inch or two of water outside--she was half-full inside--we
were able to skim over the shallowest parts; and, by the by, there is a
strange anomaly in the tides of Papeetee, which are not in the least
influenced by the moon--there are many ways of accounting for it--I only
speak of the fact--we ever found a full sea at twelve, and low water at
six.
In many places, a few feet below the surface, we glided over what seemed
the most exquisite submarine flower-gardens, corals of all colors, and
of every imaginable shape--plant, sprig, and branching antlers--of
purple, blue, white, and yellow--variegated star and shell fish, and
narrow clear blue chasms and fissures of unfathomable depths between;
but what was equally beautiful to behold, schools of superbly-colored
fishes swimming and darting about in the high blue rollers as raising
their snowy crests just before breaking upon the outer wall of the reef,
the finny tribes were held in a transparent medium, like that seen
through a crystal vase.
A heavy shower interrupted our aquatic researches, and we sought shelter
on Pomaree's diminutive island of Motuuata. It hardly covers an acre,
but is a most charming retreat beneath the drooping foliage, and I did
not wonder at the jolly queen's taste. She never goes there now: the
_Franees_ were busy with pick and barrow on parapet and bastion;
blacksmiths and artizans were hammering away at the forges, and, beneath
the trees and sheds, soldiers and sailors were munching long rolls of
bread and drinking red wine. Who can wonder that the poor Queen has
forsaken her former haunts, when her cane-built villas are polluted by
foreign tread, and the weeping groves that sheltered her troops of
languishing revellers, the "cushions of whose palms" had clasped the
smooth trunks of all--where merriment, games, feast, and wassail went on
unceasingly, in all the native abandonment of island life and pleasure;
now to have those scenes so changed by red-breeched _Franees_--the
shelly shores tossed with stone and mortar into embankments for dreaded
cannon, and the grove resounding with stunning sound of hammer and
anvil. Alas! poor Pomaree! recall the bright days of your girlhood, and
curse the hour when you invited the stranger to your kingdom.