FIFTY YEARS AGO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20981, 18 September 1931, Page 6

FIFTY YEARS AGO.

EXTRACTS FROM THE HERALD. The following are extracts from the New Zealand Herald of September 19> 1881: Great excitement has been caused io Rarotonga by the arrival at Avarua of the French warship Hngon. The captain informed the Queen that the visit was to extend the commercial interests of France and he had come to tell the natives that in future they were to deal entirely with Tahiti and to cease business with New Zealand. The captain further said England had agreed to allow France to annex the Islands. The natives expressed their desire to trade with all nations. The im* pression in Rarotonga is that the F rene . are determined to take the Hervey Group although the natives are strong? adverse to their doing so. We caitfo understand the cavalier language of Oap* tain Menand, but'it is possible the teroreter added slightly to the ongmai. Our London correspondent says 01 - content has prevailed because of 1 Governor of New Zealand being retain as High Commissioner of the V\este Pacific. Sir John Hay has expressed discontent in the House of Commons, argument is that the Pacific Islands in a state of unsafetv, and British s jects are being murdered without p per steps being taken to avenge the • Te Whiti and Tohu are reported t have given inflammatory s P eec ! ieS i/viO Pungarehu, Te Whiti saying to Maoris capable of bearing arms there might be 20,000 pakehas set the land but it would be their sepulchres. Other reports place a less formidable struction on the speeches.