FRENCH COLONISATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 157, 4 July 1888, Page 4

FRENCH COLONISATION.

Although the French have held Tahiti and other islands in its vicinity for newly half a century, there has

been no actual colonisation of these countries from France, the Freuch population being very small indeed after deducting the military force and civil officials. In perfect contrast to the French system, the English Crown colony of Fiji may be adduced, where there are no military nor fortifications, no elaborate system of officialdom— but instead an economical and purely civil administration, with a large population of English settlers and planters, The climate is quite as hot as that of Tahiti, so that there is no advantage on that score. The French Government tacitly admit their failure to colonise the Society Islands, for they have just initiated an experiment in the way of stimulating emigration from France to Tahiti. We are not aware what special inducements are held out to emigrants, but these are doubtless considerable. The first shipment, consisting of 34 souls, fifteen being children, left Bordeaux on the 13th of March last, and should shortly reach their destination. The Governor of Tahiti has received a list of the names of those adventurous Gauls, and specific instructions to have them properly received and established in their new home. He is also specially charged "to facilitate by all the means in his power this first attempt at colonisation in Tahiti." This shows that tho experiment is looked upon as an important one, and the sending of these 34 men, women and children is doubtless recognised as a momentous event in the history of the French nation. It . will be interesting for us in New Zealand to note how the experiment succeeds. It is, however, almost safe to predict that there will be no more shipments of French emigrants to Tahiti for years to come, and that the majority of the company now on their way will very soon find their way back from the Queen of the Pacific to la belle France.